


The Caged Little Magpie

by Kurtswish



Series: Avian Series [2]
Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:01:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26580319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurtswish/pseuds/Kurtswish
Summary: After traveling between dimensions Kurt Hummel finally has a place he can call home with his soulmate Blaine Anderson. With still unanswered questions, new discoveries lead not only to answers but to a mystery he never could have anticipated.Part 2 of the Avian Series.  You will need to read The Cuckoo and The Nightingale for this to make sense.This story is complete and will upload daily.Warnings:  Supernatural elements. Mentions of kidnapping, human trafficking and other crimes.
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Kurt Hummel
Series: Avian Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845166
Comments: 33
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

Kurt was relieved when he entered the building, the air conditioning hitting his overheated skin. Even the short walk from home was too much in late July. He traversed the halls, all too familiar with them now after four months at Dalton. As he entered the workroom he set his bag down beside his table. 

“How was lunch?” Isabelle called from her office. 

Kurt went and leaned against the office door and smiled at his boss. “It was good, quiet.”

“Quiet?” she laughed, “That must mean Blaine wasn’t home. It couldn’t be too good, if your loverboy was gone.”

Kurt blushed at her teasing. He should be used to it by now; Isabelle never tired of her game to see how many times a day she could make Kurt blush. He couldn’t seem to want to hold it against her though, Blaine happened to be one of Kurt’s favorite subjects. 

“He’s out on patrol,” he sighed. 

“Again?” she asked.

Kurt shrugged, “He says it is better than sitting at home with me working so much. And with Sam injured, Elliot needs someone to patrol with.” 

“Oh, I remember reading about that. Chameleon, right?” Isabelle asked. 

“Yea,” Kurt nodded. “Blaine says things have been quiet since that fight, but I honestly hate to think about him out there right now. I guess I always thought before that if you’re a hero, you’re invincible.”

“Oh honey,” she cooed. “Blaine will be alright, you mark my words.”

Kurt stood up straight, he really needed to get back to work, it was the best distraction from thinking about Blaine being in danger. “I know.” He said with little conviction. 

He was picking up the newest request form and was looking over it when Isabelle’s hand rested on his shoulder. He refused to look at her, he knew all his worry would be apparent. 

“Hey, what’s wrong? Not trouble in paradise I hope,” she asked. 

Kurt’s head whipped up until their eyes met, “No, Blaine and I are fine. I just- I know that this is Blaine’s dream, that he has trained for this most of his life. I just hate when he is out there working. I hate the thought that he might get hurt and there is nothing I can do about it.”

Kurt took a deep breath, “And I hate that I don’t feel like I can say anything without making it seem like I don’t support him. I do. I know he is a wonderful hero, and that he loves what he’s doing. But seeing Sam in the hospital, seeing him like that- it made me realize how dangerous his job is. I just found Blaine, I don’t want to lose him-”

“Kurt, stop. You can’t do this to yourself. Yes, your friend was hurt but that doesn’t mean the same thing will happen to Blaine and you can’t make yourself sick with this worry. You also can’t keep it bottled up. Blaine deserves to know how you feel.” Isabelle told him sternly. 

“No,” Kurt shook his head, “I trust him, I know he’s being safe. I’m just not used to all this yet. Maybe if I grew up with heroes, I wouldn’t be so scared all the time. Besides, I have work to do and that is just what I need to keep me from worrying.”

“I still say you need to talk to him,” she chastised. 

She went back to her office and Kurt continued to work. He liked his job and Isabelle had been pleased with his work repairing and designing hero costumes. Kurt found the work inspirational. Summer meant a new batch of freshmen enrolling, which meant 40 new students needing hero costumes. They each filled out a form detailing their quirk and the details they wanted included in the design. Dalton contracted out some of the designs to outside support companies, but for the first time in Dalton history, the majority would be made in house by Isabelle and Kurt. 

In the months leading up to summer, Isabelle had Kurt pouring over magazines and websites to familiarize himself with what was already out there. He would sit cuddled on the couch with Blaine, who loved telling harrowing stories of the heroes he knew. Kurt thought back to those cozy nights he had spent with Blaine as he read through the latest form. With a small smile at the memories, Kurt began to work on his latest design. 

Hours later, he was putting the finishing touches on the suit. He rifled through a drawer and huffed in annoyance before calling out to Isabelle, “Do we have any more comlinks?” 

“There should be a box over in the corner. I know I ordered plenty, everyone always thinks they have to have one built into their suits nowadays,” she yelled back.

Kurt stood and moved to the pile of boxes littering the corner of the room. Kurt loved Isabelle but sometimes she was as scatterbrained as she was spectacular and their workspace often showed it. He had been working hard to organize the chaos, but unfortunately the influx of supplies had rendered most of his work moot. 

He moved a large box out of the way and spied the one he was looking for. Something on the floor caught his eye. He picked it up, forgetting all about what he had been doing. It was a phone. It wasn’t just any phone, but _his_ phone. His phone that he thought was gone forever. The screen was shattered, but there was no mistaking it was his. With shaky knees he walked over to Isabelle’s office. 

“Where did you get this?” Kurt asked, his voice wavering. 

She looked up in shock at the sound of his voice. “What are you talking about?” 

He handed her the phone and she turned it over in her hands for a moment. “It’s my old phone,” Kurt explained. “How did it end up here?”

Isabelle’s face lit up with understanding. “Oh, I remember now! Blaine brought his costume in to be cleaned and repaired after that camp. It was in a compartment on his belt. When I was reloading his supplies, I meant to ask him about it since it was broken but I must have misplaced it.”

“It’s been here the whole time?” Kurt asked, feeling unsettled. For so long he thought he had lost the last bit of his old world, and yet here it was. 

She eyed him cautiously, “Are you alright?” 

Kurt shook his head. “I- I need to go. I- I need to talk to Blaine.”

“Okay, honey. You do what you need to do. I'll finish up here. If you need anything call me.”

Kurt nodded and began to leave. If Isabelle hadn’t shoved his bag in his hand he would have left everything behind. Nothing else seemed to matter except for the device in his hand and Blaine. 

Unaware of anything happening around him, Kurt made his way back home. His mind was blank, too overwhelmed to form proper thoughts. The house was silent when he entered. Without turning on a light, he sat on the couch and waited. He wasn’t sure what time it was when he heard the front door open in the distance, but the room was dark. 

“Kurt?” Blaine asked, a worried edge to his voice. 

Kurt looked up at him, feeling lost. 

“Are you okay?” Blaine rushed to his side. “Please talk to me.”

“I found this at work.” Kurt said, holding the phone up. 

“What-” Blaine began before realization hit his eyes. “Your phone.”

“How did you know?” Kurt asked. 

Blaine sat on the couch beside him and took his hand. “When you were hurt, and I found you, it was sticking out of your pocket. I took it and put it in my belt. In all the worry, I forgot about it. Did Isabelle remember and give it to you?”

Kurt shook his head, “I found it on the floor behind some boxes.”

“Kurt, what’s wrong?” Blaine’s hazel eyes met his own and like a dam breaking Kurt began to sob. 

Blaine held him in his strong arms, his wings coming around to offer an added layer of comfort. 

“I thought I lost everything, I had so much I wanted to share with you, and I thought it was gone forever. And it was just there.” Kurt finally tried to explain. 

Blaine rubbed his back, “I should have realized how much it meant to you. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I forgot about it. I feel awful.”

Kurt shook his head emphatically, “No, that isn’t it. I just- do you think the kids can still get the things off? Can I really share this with you?”

“I’m sure they can,” Blaine soothed, but he looked sad. “But Kurt, Tessa is doing her internship in Maine. I don’t think she will be back for a few more weeks.”

“Oh,” Kurt sighed. “But eventually?”

Blaine gave him a small smile. “As soon as she gets back I will ask her.”

Kurt snuggled deeper into Blaine’s embrace, content knowing that one day soon, he would be able to share some of his world with Blaine. They cuddled on the couch for a while before his worries from the day caught up with Kurt. 

“You’re home late, was everything okay?” he finally asked. 

Blaine’s voice was deep and soothing when he answered, “Elliot and I ran into some trouble with a small time villain. It took longer to diffuse than we thought it would.”

Kurt tensed and tightened his hold on Blaine. “What happened? Are you alright?”

“Hey, we’re both fine. Backup arrived from another agency and we worked together to bring him down. He had some kind of strength augmenting quirk, our quirks were not a good match is all.” Kurt could feel Blaine’s chest puff with pride. “I did deal the blow that finally knocked him out.”

Hiding his face in Blaine’s chest Kurt murmured, “I worry. I can’t help it. I just- I don’t want to lose you.”

Blaine kissed the top of his head. “I promise I will always fight to be back by your side.”

Kurt let a couple of tears fall hoping Blaine wouldn’t notice. “I know. I just hate not knowing.”

“Remember if you don’t hear anything, that means it’s routine. It’s the ones they televise that are bad news.” Blaine said as if that should be a comfort. 

“Somehow that doesn’t make me feel better,” Kurt whispered. 

The days passed, Kurt worked and worried and Blaine continued to patrol in Sam’s stead. Kurt visited Sam a few times, relieved to see his friend mending. 

“I just wish Aceso had come and worked her magic,” Sam grumbled as he hobbled back to his couch after letting Kurt in. This wasn’t the first time he had complained about this fact. 

Kurt felt a little guilty when he replied, “I know Sam, but maybe it’s for the best.”

“Why would it be for the best? I could be out there working right now.” Sam moaned. 

Kurt sighed, “I don’t know. Honestly I hate any of you out there. I hate the thought of any of you getting hurt.”

“That is what a hero does.” Sam said calmly, “We go out there and risk our safety to make sure that others are safe. We try to make sure someone's bad day doesn't end up as their last. It’s what we signed up to do.”

Kurt spoke to his hands folded in his lap, “I know. I just don’t know if I am strong enough for this. You and Elliot- and Blaine, you are all so strong and all I can do is worry and stand by while you risk everything for everyone else. I hate it.”

“You give us something to come back to. Blaine especially.” Sam said, laying a comforting hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “I know it must be hard but you give us a reason to fight. We fight for our friends and our loved ones because we want to make the world a better place for you.”

Kurt shook his head at himself, “Enough about me and my insecurities, how are you doing?”

“Besides the broken ankle, the doctors say I am good as new. As soon as that heals in a couple of more weeks, I’ll be able to start partolling again. I will need extra support for it so I put in a request for braces to be added to my costume.” Sam smiled goofily at Kurt. 

Kurt returned his smile, “And when are you going to let me design a new costume for you.This would be the perfect time to reinvent yourself.”

“Don’t you have enough work with the new students?” Sam hedged. 

Kurt’s smile turned wicked, “We are almost finished. Besides, I will make time for your costume.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m not ready to reinvent myself just yet. Maybe if Elliot and I open our own agency-” 

“Is that a possibility?” he asked. 

Sam shrugged, “We’ve talked about it before. It is harder to keep climbing the hero charts when you work for someone else’s agency. The higher on the charts, the more money you make when you work.”

“Hero charts?” Kurt asked. This was not something Blaine had ever mentioned. 

Sam looked excited as he began to explain, “It is a ranking system each region has. Your score is determined by the number of villains you capture, the number of lives you save and also your popularity rating. In a saturated market like New York, it is hard to rise in the ranks unless you run your own company. Neither of us want to move so this is our best bet.”

Kurt sat dumbfounded as he listened to this information. He realized there was still a lot left to learn about his new world. 

“Where are you now?” Kurt asked. 

“Elliot and I don’t even show up on the charts, not the published ones anyway. We are 368 and 372 last I checked. Before he moved to Dalton, Blaine actually was ranked 75, which is impressive given he was working for Eagle agency at the time. That is why we have asked him to join us if we decide to do this.” Sam said, looking excited. 

Kurt felt sick as he inquired, “You asked him about it already?”

Sam nodded, “Elliot asked him a few days ago. He- he didn’t tell you about it?” 

“No,” Kurt said, shaking his head. “He never mentioned it.”

He seemed to know exactly what Kurt was thinking and quickly said, “He told Elliot he would need to think about it. I’m sure he was going to say something.”

Kurt couldn’t shake the feeling Blaine was purposefully keeping this from him. It hurt to think he didn’t want to let him in on this. He kept worrying it over in his mind and the sick feeling never left him.When Kurt left his apartment Sam still looked concerned that he had messed up somehow. Kurt tried to reassure him, but feeling as unbalanced by the news as he did, he wasn’t sure if he was successful. 

Later that night when Blaine walked through the door, Kurt couldn’t help but blurt, “Are you really thinking about joining Sam and Elliot if they start an agency?

Blaine froze by the door as he was removing his shoes and looked surprised at Kurt. “Didn’t I tell you?” he asked. 

“No, I think I would have remembered something like that,” Kurt shot back, hating how biting his words sounded. He took a deep breath and added, “It just came as a shock when Sam mentioned it.”

Blaine walked over to him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “I wasn’t keeping this from you. I thought I mentioned it. I don’t know what I want to do, honestly.”

Kurt nodded and rested his forehead against Blaine’s shoulder, not ready to say how he was feeling. Since speaking with Sam, his mind was filled with all the things that could go horribly wrong. It wasn’t fair to lay his worries on Blaine. This was Blaine’s dream after all. 

“I know you worry about me,” Blaine whispered. “And I'd be lying if I said I haven’t enjoyed working with Elliot recently. I like teaching, but I just don’t know what I want to do anymore.”

“I just want you to talk to me,” Kurt murmured. 

Blaine hugged him before saying, “I will. But you also have to promise me to have an open mind about this. I know this has to be hard for you, but we are as safe as we can be-”

“And Sam still got hurt,” he interrupted. 

“He did.” Blaine said quietly, “but that’s what I mean. I need you to not let your emotions rule your thinking.”

Kurt growled with frustration, pushing away from him, “I know. I want to be supportive, but damn it Blaine, I’m scared. I’m working myself to the bone trying not to think of you out there facing god knows what. I can’t let myself stop because when I do, all I can do is see you hurt, or worse. It kills me everytime you leave the house to go on patrol. I want to support your dreams. I want you to do what you love, but I don’t know if I am strong enough.”

Blaine looked at him in shock. Kurt knew his face was splotchy as tears leaked from his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

He wiped furiously at his face, “I didn’t want you to think I don’t believe in you. I know you are amazing, but- but I can’t lose you and that is all I can think about.”

“Kurt,” The way Blaine said his name, with such love and tenderness caused a new wave of tears to rush down his cheeks. “You don’t have to try and justify your fears to me. Being afraid doesn’t mean you don’t support me or think I’m weak, I know that.”

“I’m not asking you to stop being a hero. I would never do that. It’s what drives you. I just need to learn how to deal with it. I don’t know what to do.” Kurt sobbed. “I want to be okay with this. I just don’t know how.”

Blaine enfolded him in his arms once more. “I’m taking the next few days off, I can’t go back out there knowing this is what you’re dealing with. I don’t know what to do to make this easier on you, I’m sorry I didn’t see how this was affecting you sooner. You tried to tell me the other day, didn’t you? I just didn’t get it.”

It was like a weight was lifted off Kurt’s shoulders just hearing Blaine validate his feelings. He didn't try to make promises he couldn’t keep, but just acknowledging them was enough. It didn’t matter that he didn’t have a solution either, Kurt knew there was no easy solution. “I’m sorry.” he finally whispered. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry I didn’t understand sooner.” Blaine lifted Kurt's head and kissed him gently, first on the forehead, then his nose and finally sweetly on the mouth. 

“Can we watch something that has nothing to do with superheroes?” Kurt asked sheepishly. 

Blaine smiled softly at him, “How about a nice romantic comedy while we cuddle on the couch?” 

“Best idea ever.” Kurt sighed, taking Blaine’s hand and leading him to the couch. He knew that things weren’t fixed, he knew he would still worry when Blaine had to go back out on patrol, but somehow he still felt better just knowing Blaine knew. They would have to deal with everything else later, but for one night, they could lose themselves in something easy. 

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

The next morning Kurt woke up to see a beaming Blaine standing over him already fully dressed. 

“You look entirely too cheerful this morning,” Kurt yawned as he tried to snuggle deeper into the covers. 

“Come on, Kurt, get dressed I had the best idea of what we can do today!” Blaine exclaimed, trying to grab Kurt's hand as he stuffed it further under the pillow. 

“It’s our first day off together in forever, why are you even out of bed?” Kurt whined. 

Blaine gave up trying to grab Kurt’s hand and sat on the bed beside him. “Because I want to take you out.”

Kurt opened one eye and looked up at Blaine, “Out? Where?”

“Well, I was thinking- I think one of the reasons you are so worried is because you haven’t visited the city since you’ve been here. The only thing you know about  _ our _ New York, is what you see on the news. I think it’s time you experienced it first hand,” he explained. 

It was like a lump of ice found its home in the pit of Kurt's stomach. It was true, Kurt had been avoiding the city, in the months he had been living with Blaine any trips he made were only to the nearby town. Even Sam and Elliot shared an apartment in the village that lay closest to Dalton. “I don’t know-” Kurt said, trying to buy himself some time. 

“I know it must be a little scary-” Blaine began before Kurt cut him off.

“It’s not that.” Kurt said sitting up. 

Blaine just looked at him, giving him time to explain. Kurt’s heart ached in the best way, knowing that Blaine always tried his best to be patient with him. The sweet way he listened, wanting to understand, even when Kurt didn’t completely understand himself, was one of the things he loved most about him. 

Kurt looked down at his lap and tried to explain. “If I go, I know things are going to be different. It means that I’m really not in my own world anymore. I know it doesn’t make any sense. There are so many things around me that are different with the quirks and everything. It’s just- everything I’ve ever known is gone. I love it here, I love being with you. But- it’s kind of huge to admit to myself. Until now, I’ve been able to lie to myself like I am just in a different state. But going back there and knowing it isn’t really back  _ there _ . It’s a lot.” 

Kurt looked up at Blaine when he was finished speaking. He fought back tears as he watched Blaine’s eyes begin to glisten with unshed tears of his own. 

“I thought- we all just kept going on about how well you were adjusting. We were deluding ourselves weren’t we?” Blaine whispered. 

Kurt got to his knees and cupped Blaine’s face in his hands. “You listen to me Blaine Anderson. There is  _ nowhere _ else I would rather be than right here by your side. Being here, I- this is where I want to be. The demons I was fighting for so long, are gone. I am happy and I- I don’t think you understand how different things are now for me, in a good way. My life is completely different- and I wouldn’t change it for the world. The truth is I have been avoiding it because I’m afraid of what my reaction will be. Will this be the thing that is too much for me to take?”

Instead of answering, Blaine kissed him. Kurt could feel all of Blaine’s love poured into the kiss. It melted the dread sitting in his gut and warmed him. Blaine pulled back and nuzzled their noses together before speaking. 

“You are by far the strongest man I‘ve ever met. I love you,” he whispered. 

Kurt chuckled, “I think you give me too much credit.”

He paused for a moment and thought. Blaine made him feel safe, cherished and loved. Blaine  _ was _ home. “Okay, let’s do this.” 

“Are you sure?” Blaine asked. 

Kurt smiled, “With you by my side, I can do anything.”

An hour later found the two walking down an unfamiliar street in New York City, hand in hand. Kurt couldn’t deny that this wasn’t the city he had grown to know over the last ten years of his life, but he was surprised that that knowledge didn’t fill him with any negative emotion. This still felt like home. That may have had to do with the fact that Blaine was by his side, but more and more Kurt just felt like this was where he belonged. It was almost how he figured going back to your hometown must feel; even with the changes you would just know that this was where you came from. 

This puzzled Kurt, because why should he feel this way. He was the proverbial stranger in a strange land, but it hadn’t felt that way almost since the instant he appeared here. Kurt pushed the thoughts aside and just basked in the city as they walked. Nothing eventful happened all morning, aside from the occasional times Blaine was recognized on the street. Kurt marveled at the slight blush that met each called greeting of some variant of ‘It’s Nightbird’ that they would hear. 

They did see several heroes patrolling the streets, but to Kurt it looked more like they were taking leisurely strolls around the city, like they were. They decided to stop for lunch on the patio of a little cafe. As they sat waiting for their food, Blaine pointed out the different stores that surrounded them. 

“Kurt, Blaine!” they heard called down the street to them and looked over to see Elliot in his hero costume jogging towards them. Several pedestrians' eyes followed him as he closed the distance. 

“Hey Starchild,” Kurt smiled at his friend. 

“Are you patrolling alone?” Blaine asked.

Starchild smiled back at the pair as he answered, “No, we decided to let the new recruit come in today. She’s fresh out of school, and is a little green, but she has been doing great.”

Kurt looked to see if he could find her in the crowd, but he couldn’t see any other heroes. 

Before he could ask, Blaine said, “Is she from Dalton?”

“No, she just moved here from somewhere in the Midwest.”

“Where is she?” Kurt asked. 

“Oh, she ran down the street to pick us up some lunch.” 

“Do you want to join us?” Blaine asked. 

Elliot quickly shook his head, “No thanks. She seemed super eager to get a real New York hot dog.”

Kurt couldn’t help but laugh. “It’s good to know some things are the same,” he explained when the others looked at him. 

Eliiot’s expression turned serious, “I’m glad you let Blaine bring you out here today so you can see what we actually do when we are working. I don’t know what it was like where you came from, but the crime rate has fallen drastically in the last decade. We honestly have more heroes here than we know what to do with most of the time.”

Kurt nodded, “I do feel better, I mean I still don’t like the idea of any of you getting hurt, but so far things do seem quiet.”

Elliot looked up the street where a young woman in a hot pink bodysuit was walking towards them. “Well, There she is, I should get back to it. Enjoy your meal.”

Kurt watched Starchild walk off, a smile on his face and with a bounce in his step. 

As the day grew hotter, Kurt noticed more activity on the streets; small skirmishes popped up that random heroes took care of quickly. It was nothing more than what he used to see police officers take care of before, the only differences were the quirks being used. Nothing he saw filled him with dread and he found he was enjoying the day out with Blaine. They browsed local shops, and Blaine showed him the sights. It was nice walking hand in hand down the street with his love. 

By mid afternoon though, both men were ready to bid goodbye to the city. They began to make their way back to the subway station that would take them closer to Dalton. As they walked they discussed their dinner plans. 

“If we stop by the market on the way home, I’ll cook us something,” Kurt offered, moments before a loud explosion erupted in the distance. Blaine’s arm went instinctively around Kurt and his wings unfurled. Kurt could feel Blaine’s whole body tense beside him. 

“Let’s go,” he said, pulling Kurt along with him down the street. 

Kurt wanted to protest when he noticed they were not moving away from whatever was happening, but Blaine was leading them towards it. Kurt couldn’t form any words, his only thought was that he needed to stay with Blaine. 

Then Kurt saw them in the distance, a familiar purple and black suit and a bright pink one fighting with a dark figure. There was a crater in the middle of the street. At first Kurt thought it had been caused by the explosion, but then the ground began to shake, opening it up wider. 

The dark figure, the person Kurt assumed was a villain was crouched with his hands on the ground. The earthquake seemed to be emanating from that point. 

Kurt watched as Starchild threw his hands out causing another explosion. Its force shook the buildings around them, but Kurt noticed no new damage. The villain however had managed to dodge the assault completely. 

The new hero shot a bright pink bubble out from her hands but it too failed to capture the man causing all the damage. 

Once more he crouched and the ground began to shake again. Kurt clung to Blaine and took in the scene. He could see a few people in the surrounding buildings peeking out of windows, trying to see what was causing all of the commotion. Blaine squeezed Kurt against him before releasing him and shouting up to the people. “Go into the centermost part of the building. If you have a way to exit away from this area, evacuate now.”

Quickly heads began disappearing back inside. Kurt scanned the buildings and saw a small boy still watching the fray below. “Blaine,” Kurt said, before pointing out the little boy who seemed enthralled by the action. 

In an instant three things happened simultaneously; the villain caused the earth to shake violently again, the boy tipped out of the window and Blaine flew into the air. Kurt stood in horror as he watched the boy plummet towards the ground, unable to turn away from the horror he was sure he was about to witness. He heard Elliot release another massive explosion and almost in tandem Blaine swooped in, catching the boy mere feet from the ground before beating his wings to get them both out of harm's way. 

Kurt’s heart lurched in his chest and he watched in awe at his boyfriend’s actions. His eyes never left his figure as he flew high over his head with that little boy in his arms. Blaine landed in front of him and carefully handed the boy to Kurt. 

“Can you watch him, keep him safe? You should be fine here but if things begin to look bad, you take him and run to safety.” Blaine hurriedly said before quickly kissing Kurt and taking off again. 

Kurt felt like he couldn’t breath as Blaine went to join in the fight. He was startled from his fear by a tiny voice asking, “Is he a  _ real _ hero?” 

Kurt looked down at the little boy in his arms, he couldn’t have been more than 7 years old. “That’s Nightbird. He’s the bravest hero I know.”

“But he isn’t even wearing a costume,” the little boy pointed out. 

It was then it hit him, he finally understood, “A hero doesn’t stop being a hero just because they aren’t in costume. A hero is someone who acts before they can think. They save people because they can’t imagine  _ not.  _ They can’t stop being a hero, it is who they are.”

“He’s my favorite.” The boy sighed as he watched the battle in front of them. 

Kurt turned his attention back to them as well. Blaine was flying in circles above the villain, distracting him. The pink girl seemed to be sending out bubbles as fast as she could. Kurt scanned the scene trying to find Starchild. He was sneaking his way to the villain’s blindspot, moving carefully as the others did all they could to keep the villain’s attention on them. Kurt watched, as Elliot threw out his hands, a final massive explosion hit close to the villain’s head and he crumpled almost instantly. 

A quiet hung over the area for a moment. The dark figure lay motionless on the ground, looking smaller than he had before. The hero in pink cautiously approached him, already pulling a restraint from her belt. Elliot stood panting, as he watched the new recruit. Blaine landed in front of Kurt who was still clutching onto the boy in his arms. 

“Are you two okay?” Blaine asked. 

Before Kurt could answer the boy cheered, “You were amazing!”

Blaine held back his smile, “I want you to promise me the next time you see a villain attack, you listen when an adult tells you to run, got it?”

“Yes, sir.” he seemed sad for only a moment before pepping back up, “Nightbird, can I be your number one fan?”

“I think that job is already taken,” Kurt smiled, catching Blaine’s eyes. He turned his attention back to the boy, “You can be my vice-president.”

Pretty soon the police had arrived and were taking the villain away. With them also came someone from the public works department. While Blaine was busy explaining his involvement in the incident, Kurt turned the little boy, Cody’s, attention to the man repairing the street. Kurt never tired of seeing quirks at work and watching the man single handedly repair the asphalt was no different. Apparently, Cody was the same, he watched, mesmerized. 

Once the repair was finished Cody asked in awe, “What can you do?”

“Oh my quirk?” Kurt asked. 

Cody nodded enthusiastically. 

“Well I can manipulate fabric, like this-” Kurt flicked his wrist and changed his shirt from blue to green. 

“Wow! All I can do is make things float. I’m not really good at it yet though. I wish I could be a hero too.” Cody looked gloomy. 

“Can I tell you a secret?” Kurt waited until he nodded. “Nightbird thinks anyone can become a hero. If you want it bad enough and work hard enough, you can be a hero too.”

“Really?” Cody asked. 

“Really, really,” Kurt assured him. 

Just then a young woman came running up to them. “Cody, you’re alright!”

She looked frantically at Kurt, “I told him to come with us, but when I turned around he was gone. Thank you for taking care of him. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“I fell out the window,” Cody cheered. The woman looked like she was going to be sick. 

“Nightbird caught him and brought him to me.”

“Did he really fall?” she asked. 

Kurt wished he didn’t have to tell the truth, “He did, but like I said Nightbird was there. He also told him to listen next time so he doesn’t get hurt.”

After a few more reassurances to the mom, Kurt watched her walk away with Cody waving back enthusiastically.

It seemed like forever before the police had disbanded. Elliot, Blaine and the new girl all approached Kurt looking tired. 

“Man I hate it when the report takes longer than the actual takedown.” Elliot grumbled. 

Blaine laughed, “How do you think I feel, this was supposed to be my day off.”

“We had it, didn’t we Bubbles?” Elliot teased before turning serious, “But thanks for your help. We just couldn’t get the drop on him.”

“What was he doing in the first place?” Kurt asked.

“He robbed a convenience store a few blocks up. All this over 300 bucks.” Bubbles explained. 

When they started home again, they walked in silence for a few blocks. Kurt could feel Blaine was tense by his side. Finally Kurt couldn’t take it any longer, “I think I understand now - what drives you. I’m sorry I didn’t see it before. Being a hero isn’t something you can just stop being. It is who you are. I won't promise I won’t ever worry again- but I get it now.”

Blaine looked at him in surprise, “You do?”

“I will say this though, I don’t think you should give up being a teacher. I’m not saying this because I don’t want you out on the streets. I think you make a huge impact on your students and I don’t think you should take that lightly either. Will you at least think about all the options before you make a decision?” Kurt felt his heartbeat speed up. He wanted Blaine to understand this wasn’t coming from a place of fear.

Blaine looked bashfully away, “I promise. I’ll think about it. Honestly I don’t know what I want to do anymore. Things used to seem so clear, but now I feel so torn about what is best.”

Kurt tucked Blaine into his side, “I think you should take as long to decide as you need to. Sam and Elliot can wait. They need to understand that this is your choice alone.”

“No it isn’t,” Blaine said, stopping them in their tracks and leveling Kurt with a serious gaze. “Nothing I do only affects me anymore. You are my partner, the love of my life and any choice either of us make, we should make together. I know that we haven’t been together long, but we would be fooling ourselves if we tried to say that this isn’t forever. So, we will talk about this, and together we will decide what we should do, all right?”

Instead of answering, Kurt captured Blaine’s lips with his own, pouring all of his love and devotion into the action. When he pulled back, Kurt was breathless as he murmured, “I wasn’t lying about being your number one fan. Seeing you in action- it was like nothing else.”

Blaine chuckled darkly, “Let’s not tell Elliot about your revelation just yet. I think we should stock up on groceries tonight, so tomorrow we don’t have to even get dressed. Sound good?”

The idea of taking anymore time to get home seemed like the worst, however the thought of spending all day naked with Blaine, well, Kurt could think of nothing better. Kurt’s voice was husky as he answered back, “I just can’t stand the thought of letting you out of my sight.”

  
  



	3. Chapter 3

Kurt was exhausted. After finishing all the costumes for the incoming freshmen, he had been tirelessly working on organizing their workroom. He was taking full advantage of Isabelle being out of the office to make it an efficient work space. It was long and dirty work, but Kurt was finally proud of the finished product. He was just ready to be at home curled up with Blaine. 

He trudged in the house, surprised to be greeted by Blaine himself. “What are you doing home already? I thought you were patrolling today?” Kurt asked. 

It had been a week since their first trip into New York, and Blaine had been going in again whenever he could ever since. 

Blaine beamed at him as he answered, “Well, I was going to but I got a call instead- from Tessa.”

Kurt’s mind screeched to a halt, “Tessa? You mean from your class?”

Kurt didn’t dare to hope that it meant what he thought it did. 

“She and her family were going to be in town for the day and she offered to come by and look at your phone.” Blaine bounced on the balls of his feet. 

“But it's dead,” Kurt said, still in disbelief. 

Blaine’s smile got ever wider, “Dominique was more than happy to come by as well.”

“You got it? Did you really get everything off of my phone?” Kurt felt tears prickling his eyes. 

Blaine pointed to Kurt’s laptop where it sat on the coffee table, “Tessa thinks she did. She said if you thought anything was missing, she could try again once school starts.”

“Did you look?” Kurt asked.

Blaine’s face turned tender, “I wouldn't dare without you.”

On shaky limbs Kurt sat on the couch and picked up the computer. “She said she put everything in a folder called old world,” Blaine added. 

Kurt searched the screen before clicking on the folder. Instantly he was assaulted by thumbnails of his old life. Kurt clicked on the last picture he took. It was a picture of his bedroom, he didn’t remember why he even took it but his heart clenched at the sight. 

“That was my mom’s dresser,” he said pointing it out. “That, there on top are my dad’s coveralls. He was a mechanic, I think I saw him more in those than I ever saw him in normal clothes.”

“Kind of like a hero costume.” Blaine said. 

Kurt hadn’t ever thought of it that way, but Blaine was right. Just seeing his dad in them made Kurt feel like everything would be alright, that he was safe and loved. “Exactly,” Kurt whispered. 

They scrolled through the pictures one by one with Kurt giving an endless commentary. There weren’t nearly as many as most people would have but they went back years. He even had pictures from his childhood he had snapped and put on his phone. Kurt almost thought that he knew deep down that he needed them there for this very reason. 

“This is my mom,” Kurt sighed as he took in her face. She was smiling sweetly at the camera, her blue eyes twinkling. It was Kurt’s favorite picture of her. 

Kurt looked over at Blaine eager to see his reaction. His forehead was creased and he looked confused. “Wait, that can’t be your mom.” Blaine whispered. 

Kurt laughed, “Of course it is. Most people tell me I look a lot like her.”

“No, I mean- it’s not that. It's- I  _ know _ her.” Blaine stammered. 

“That’s impossible,” Kurt said dumbfounded. They had spent the last half hour marvelling at the differences of their worlds, how could Blaine think he knew Kurt’s mom. 

“I don’t know her know her, but- I swear Kurt I’ve seen her before. Look.” Blaine said before taking the laptop from Kurt and opening the browser. 

As Blaine typed, Kurt protested, “Blaine, you couldn’t have seen my mom before. What are you talking about?”

“Here, look.” Blaine said shoving the computer back towards Kurt. There on the screen was his mother, dressed all in white, her auburn hair flowing in the wind. It was her. The same eyes, the same delighted smile. Under her picture were the words ‘The Angel’ and ‘Missing/Presumed Dead’.

“How?” Kurt finally managed to say. 

“Growing up, I was obsessed with heroes, especially ones that could fly. I researched every hero I could find that flew, it didn’t matter how. Wings, wind control. I found her story one day and it fascinated me.” Blaine tried to explain.

“Her story?” Kurt managed to ask feeling something like dread settle in his stomach like a rock. 

“She was based in Chicago. Her quirk was telekinesis and she could even use it on herself. That was how she flew, by projecting herself through the air.” Blaine took a deep breath before continuing. “That wasn’t what fascinated me the most about her. They say she was in California, visiting with her husband. There was an altercation with a villian, no one was sure of his name or his quirk. She wasn’t even acting as a hero at the time, just sightseeing. A few local heroes came on scene to assist and in the chaos the villain escaped and The Angel and her husband were nowhere to be found.”

Kurt swallowed hard. “Nowhere to be found.”

“Let me see,” Blaine murmured before taking the laptop back from Kurt and typing again. This time when he returned it there was a picture of both his parents with the caption, ‘Kathryn and Burt Hummel’. Kurt closed his eyes and willed his tears away with no success. 

“When I searched online for the name on my chest, I didn’t even put two and two together. I’m sorry Kurt.” Blaine said, squeezing his hand. 

Kurt’s laugh turned into a sob. “So this means-” He couldn’t complete the sentence. He couldn’t say it out loud.

Blaine took the laptop and placed it on the coffee table before enfolding Kurt in his arms. Knowing he needed the extra comfort, his wings engulfed them both as well. Once Kurt was enveloped in the cocoon of Blaine, Blaine finally whispered, “This is where you belonged from the beginning.”

“I don’t understand.” Kurt practically wailed, forcing the words out through his tears. “How could they be from here? How come they never told me? They can’t be from this world. I saw their marks and no one here had ever heard of them, so how?”

“I don't know for sure. I am sure that villain’s quirk had something to do with it,” Blaine soothed. “I wish I had all the answers Kurt. But-”

“But what?” Kurt asked with a hitched breath. 

“But maybe this is why you never felt connected to your old world. You were never meant to be a part of it. And  _ we  _ have our marks too, we are here and are soul mates so your parents could have been too.”

Kurt nodded, taking comfort in his embrace. They sat like that entwined together, shutting the rest of the world out until Kurt’s sobs subsided and he finally felt at peace with it all. 

He kissed Blaine gently, letting him know he was ready to face the world again. 

“We do need to let the authorities know. If there is someone out there with a quirk that can send people to other dimensions I am sure the Hero Department needs to know about it. They can’t have been the only ones.” Blaine told him. 

Kurt looked at Blaine in horror, “You mean there could be others?” 

“It’s a possibility. I don’t know for sure.” Blaine sighed. 

While Blaine went to call the Hero Department, Kurt grabbed the laptop and read the article with both his parents pictured.

**Chicago Hero and Husband Missing**

_ Chicago’s The Angel, Kathryn Hummel, along with her husband Burt, went missing Thursday following a villain attack on the Union Square Area of San Francisco. The couple were on vacation at the time.  _

_ Heroes on the scene report that The Angel was not part of the mission though it is unclear what her involvement actually was. It has been reported that The Angel did engage with the villain but some think it was only because her husband's life was in danger. Local Heroes on the scene included Mega, Mr. E, Grand Stand, Tricks and Flyer.  _

_ Authorities have not released the name or the quirk of the villain they engaged with, however, much of the area was left in devastation. A thorough search of the area was made, but no sign of The Angel or Burt Hummel could be found. It is believed the pair died in the attack.  _

_ The Angel was the Number 5 Hero in Chicago and had been active for 6 years. She was the head of the Halo Agency which specializes in combat and rescue. The Angel’s quirk was telekinesis, she could control any object around her and was known to take to the sky. No one at the Halo Agency could be reached for comment.  _

_ Burt Hummel (25) worked for Hero Inc Support Company. Hero Inc reps say he used his metal manipulation quirk to build support gear for their company. “We are saddened by the loss of Burt, he was innovative in his thinking and was a great assent to the company and the world. His inventions have saved many lives, hero and civilian alike. The world is a duller place without him in it.” _

_ Kathryn and Burt Hummel had no children but left behind parents Hannah and Jeff Reynolds, Robert and Eliza Hummel. The families have asked for privacy at this time.  _

Kurt stared at the picture again. His parents looked so happy. His mom was wearing her hero costume and his dad was wearing coveralls similar to the ones Kurt knew so well. Burt had his arms wrapped around his wife who was beaming back at the camera. As he took in their features he thought back to everything Blaine had told him and everything he had read himself. It was terrifying that a villain, a single person, could banish a couple never to be heard from again. 

If his mom was really the number 5 hero in Chicago, she had to have been strong; and being able to manipulate metal seemed like a strong quirk as well. If they couldn’t fend off a villain with at least 5 other heroes, what chance did anyone have. 

Kurt looked over at Blaine as he reentered the room.  _ Could someone send him away just as easily _ Kurt thought with horror. 

“What’s wrong?” Blaine asked. 

Kurt shrugged, “This is all honestly too much to take in. I’m scared that there is someone out there with this power. And I have so many questions that I know no one can answer.”

“A representative from the Hero Department is on their way over. They might have some of the answers that you are looking for.” Blaine tried. 

“I don’t understand why they never told me.” Kurt murmured looking away. 

Blaine laughed humorlessly, “Would you have believed them? Think about it Kurt, you would have thought they were crazy if they told you they were from a world full of super heroes.”

“You’re probably right. It just feels like my entire life was a lie.” Kurt admitted. 

“If you think about it, we never really know about our parents’ lives before we are born anyway. All we know is what they decide to share with us. So what  _ did  _ they share with you?” Blaine asked. 

Kurt thought back to all the times he had asked his dad about growing up. He couldn’t remember any stories his mom told of her childhood, they had faded away like so many memories of her. “My dad said they grew up in the same small town in Illinois, but they didn't know each other until high school. He wrote off the fact that they didn’t have any pictures of them growing up by saying that both of their parents had died when they were young, and they lost everything in a house fire just before they moved to Lima, Ohio where I was born. He told me he wanted to play football, that was the  _ it _ sport around, but because of an injury he didn’t make the cut.” A memory of his father flashed before Kurt’s eyes, the way his face shone with pride as he spoke about his wife. 

“Oh my god, he told me my mom was  _ the _ athlete, that she was a cheerleader and a track star. He literally told me, ‘When she was out there doing her thing it was like she was flying.’ He told me everything, just in terms I could understand. He said she was really popular and that everyone loved her. ”

“Does this really change how you feel about them?” Blaine said gently. 

Kurt let the question wash over him before he answered. He searched his feelings and the answer was glaring back at him.

“Yes.” He admitted. 

Blaine looked stunned by his answer, his mouth popped open and his eyes bugged out before he schooled his face. 

A shocked laugh burst out of Kurt before he could help it. He hurriedly explained, “Not in a bad way. It just, I know how they feel, I mean not exactly, but I know what it feels like to be thrown into a world that is so crazily different from your own. The big difference is that while they were together they also left behind so many people. I really had no one left in my world to worry about me.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Kurt spoke again, “I do wonder though, how my life would have been different if I had grown up here, with a hero for a mom. Would I have wanted to be a hero too? When would I have met you? Would we have been in school together?”

“Do you know how good it makes me feel that you just know we would have found each other?” Blaine asked, before kissing him. 

“We’re Soulmates, of course we would have found each other.” Kurt playfully scolded him. 

“You do realize you are following in your dad’s footsteps, don’t you? If I remember correctly he worked for a support company making tech items, but pretty close.” Blaine pointed out. 

Kurt smiled softly to himself, “You’re right. You know if my parents could see me now, I think they would be proud. Not just of me, but of you too.”

Once again Blaine looked stunned, but this time in a way that made Kurt’s heart ache for him. 

“Do you really think so?” Blaine asked softly. 

Kurt was so happy to give him a completely honest answer, “I know they would have adored you. Blaine, you make me feel complete and so very happy everyday. Even if there was no absolute way of knowing you were my Soulmate, there would still be no doubt in my mind that you are mine. I would choose you out of everyone in this or any other world. I love you Blaine.”

The way Blaine looked back at Kurt, it was like he was saying ‘I love you’ for the very first time. His eyes crinkled with a smile and glistened with tears. Kurt rarely saw Blaine speechless but in those moments, he didn’t have to speak, his face said everything. Blaine leaned forward and just before capturing Kurt's lips he murmured “God I love you.”

Once the rep from the Hero Department arrived, Blaine began to explain everything they had discovered and how. Kurt was thankful for Blaine taking charge because he honestly wasn’t sure if he could have explained everything even if he wanted to.

If Kurt was hoping for answers, he was sorely mistaken though. The rep, an Agent Monroe, rattled off questions, jotting down answers ignoring any question either man posed themselves. It seemed like hours as they went through everything, from the pictures on Kurt’s computer to Kurt’s memories. It was exhausting, and Kurt felt like he himself was under investigation. 

“What do you remember of the night you returned here?” Agent Monroe asked. 

Kurt sighed, they had been through this before, “I was walking down the street in New York. I was walking towards the Williamsburg Bridge, it goes over the East River. I wasn’t that far from the bridge and the next thing I knew I was in the forest on the land owned by the heroes Terra-reign and Animalia. Not long after that Starchild found me.”

“Did you notice anything around you? Fog, lights, anything of the sort?” he questioned. 

Kurt shook his head, “Not that I remember, I wasn’t exactly paying attention though.”

Agent Monroe didn’t seem at all pleased by this answer. “Well, I think that is all from me for now.”

“Isn’t there anything you can tell me? Why were my parents targeted? Who did this to them? Why no one knew what happened to them until now? Are my grandparents even still alive? Anything?” Kurt practically yelled as the rep stood to begin leaving. He looked over at Kurt like he was a particularly interesting piece of furniture he had just now noticed. 

“I’m afraid that I can’t share any of those answers with you at this time Mr. Hummel. Although I am sorry to inform you that in the almost 30 years since your parents’ disappearance both the Reynolds and the Hummels have passed away. I will be in touch if there does come a time when there is anything we can tell you, or if we have any other questions. Thank you for your time and the files.”

Agent Monroe held up the flash drive where everything from Kurt’s phone was copied. Kurt was frozen in his spot as he watched the agent walk away, Blaine hurrying after him. Once the rep was gone and Blaine had locked the door behind him, Kurt collapsed back on the couch feeling utterly deflated. 

“I forgot how closed lipped the Hero Department can be, I’m sorry Kurt.” Blaine’s voice wafted over him. “Come on, let’s go to bed. I’ll text Elliot and tell him I’m not coming in tomorrow. I think we need some time together.”

Kurt nodded before allowing himself to be led to bed. 

  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Once school started Kurt had enough to keep his mind busy. Between costume fittings and Isabelle busy with her new support course students, Kurt didn’t have a moment to spare during the day to put energy into figuring out how his parents had ended up in the world he was born into. By the time he got home, he was more than happy to let himself be distracted by Blaine. 

He still wanted answers. During the few free moments his mind happened to wander to the subject, he yearned to know more. Was this why Blaine had been marked when he was 16 and Kurt hadn’t? Was it fate's way of letting Kurt know he was in the wrong place, to let Blaine know that he was out there and needed him? Had his parent’s been marked when they arrived in his world, much in the same way Kurt had when he got here? And how exactly had he found his way to their world?

Kurt knew there was no use in searching for these answers, he would probably never know. 

By the time September was coming to an end, Kurt had found peace in that fact. He cherished the knowledge that no matter the how, he was here now, in the place he was always meant to be. 

He was working alone in the workroom one day when a timid girl peeked her head in and looked around. 

“Can I help you?” Kurt asked. He was used to students popping in and out of the workroom from time to time. Their reasons varied from seeking costume upgrades and support gear, needing their costumes repaired or cleaned, to support course students looking for Isabelle for advice. 

“Ms. Wright is busy with a class, and she said you might be able to help me,” the girl squeaked. 

Kurt didn’t recognize her, but he still didn’t know most of the students yet. He didn’t think she was from the hero course, they weren’t usually quite as shy as this girl appeared. 

“I can try. What do you need?” He said, trying to look as approachable as possible. He wasn’t sure if he succeeded when she blushed furiously and looked away. 

He had to strain to hear her as she said, “I wanted to ask, how do you know how to design a hero costume?”

Kurt was surprised by the question, while he had never sat in on Isabelle’s classes, he was sure she covered at least the basics in class. Still he didn’t have the heart to turn the poor girl away. 

“Well a lot goes into the initial design. First you have to look at the hero’s quirk, do they have a special fitting need. I like to start with a simple design for the base. This is the easiest way to make sure that it is functional without impeding the way the hero moves.”

Kurt continued to explain his theory behind costume design and the girl seemed to be soaking everything up. She nodded along and jotted down notes all the while. The more Kurt talked the more excited he was to share his process and he was glad to have such an eager audience. 

As he was wrapping up he saw Isabelle return out of the corner of his eye. She headed straight to her office. The girl seemed to notice too and quickly said, “I’m sorry, I have to go or I will be late for my next class. Thank you for everything.”

Before Kurt could say another word she rushed out the door. He wished he had got her name. 

Not long after the girl left, Isabelle emerged from her office. “Who was that?” 

Kurt looked at her in surprise, “I thought she was one of your students.”

“I’ve never seen her before, maybe she’s in general studies.” Isabelle shrugged.

“What? But she was so eager to learn about designing costumes, she has to be in the support course.” Kurt protested. 

Isabelle laughed, “I promise you she isn’t one of my students. ”

“That is such a waste.” Kurt complained, “Any student who shows that much thirst to learn more should be given the chance.”

“Kurt, we don’t screen out nearly as many support course students as the hero course does. If someone has a drive to learn, they usually make it in. There are always a few openings left. Most of those who don’t make the hero course opt for general studies instead. Those are the fullest tracks.” Isabelle explained. 

It bothered Kurt that there was someone in this school with the want and drive to seek him out for advice, but clearly wasn’t studying where their passion lay. 

The next day at lunch in the cafeteria with Blaine, Kurt was distracted and scanning the room hoping to see a familiar face. He searched each table with his eyes, trying to find that one girl. It shouldn’t have been too hard, how many teenage girls had steely gray hair? 

“Kurt!” Blaine practically yelled. Kurt’s head whipped around to see Blaine laughing at him. “I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last 2 minutes,” he explained. 

“Sorry,” Kurt sighed. 

“You’re looking for her, the girl from yesterday, aren’t you?” Blaine asked. 

Kurt sighed again, “Yes. I just want to talk to her.”

Blaine chuckled knowingly, “The teaching bug has got you.”

“What? No. I just. If you could have seen her, you would agree with me that she is in the wrong course. She  _ needs _ to be in the support course.” Kurt said adamantly. 

Blaine nudged him with his foot. “Only a real teacher would be so upset seeing such potential wasted. I heard you talk about her last night, you’re a teacher, like it or not. Once Isabelle sees it, she is going to harness it too, I promise.”

Kurt felt flustered at the thought, “I’m not a teacher, I just-”

“You just want to see her succeed and be happy. Just think of it Kurt, a whole class of design hopefuls learning from you. You could pass along your passion for it to so many kids.” Blaine said, grabbing his hand. 

“But that’s Isabelle’s job.” Kurt protested. 

Blaine laughed again, “Costume design is her least favorite part of the job. How many costumes did Dalton provide this year?”

“35.” Kurt grumbled knowing what he was going to ask next. 

“And how many did you design?” Blaine challenged right on cue.

“33. Okay fine, she likes the gadget part better. But I’ve never taught anyone before.” Kurt pointed out. 

“Neither had I,” Blaine retorted. “I think you should think about it. But first, is that her?” 

Kurt whipped around and looked to where Blaine indicated with his head. There she was sitting all alone, her head down working on something in lieu of eating. 

“It is,” Kurt huffed.

“Go talk to her. I'll see you after school.” Blaine stood and kissed Kurt on the cheek before walking away. 

Kurt hurried over to the table the girl was sitting at. As he approached he noticed she was sketching a design in a notebook. 

“So, why aren’t you in the support course?” Kurt asked, startling her. 

“Mr. Hummel.” She gulped. 

Kurt smiled at her, hoping to put her at ease. “Really, I need to know. Why are you only in general studies when it is clear you want to be a designer.

The girl looked away, “I- I wanted to apply but I didn’t think I would get in.”

“You passed the entrance exam for the school, that means you have the brains. You sought me out for advice, so you have the drive. Why did you think you wouldn’t make it?” Kurt asked kindly. 

She shrugged, “I don’t have a quirk. Don’t I need one to be in support?”

Kurt mirrored her shrug and then sat down across from her. “Honestly, I don’t see why you should. I’m going to let you in on something. I didn’t grow up here. Where I come from, quirks aren’t a thing. No one has them, in fact I didn’t get mine until I came here. I’m not saying you’re going to get a quirk,” Kurt added at her hopeful expression. “The point is, I worked in fashion, I designed and made exquisite clothes by hand, just me, my imagination and a machine. If you have that, why would you need a quirk?”

“Do you really think I could do it?” she asked her eyes wide and hopeful. 

Kurt felt his own excitement growing at the idea, “I have no doubt in my mind. I’ll go with you to the administration building and see if we can get you switched if you’d like.”

“Would they really let me switch?” She said so tentatively it almost broke Kurt’s heart. 

“I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t know it was possible. There is just one thing first, though.” 

She looked at him with her big blue eyes filled with worry.

“I need to know your name first.”

She laughed softly, “It’s- it’s Sura Geller.”

“Well, Sura Geller,” Kurt said standing up. “Let’s get you where you belong.”

Transferring Sura into the support course was a simple matter and once finished, Kurt felt a great sense of accomplishment and pride when he saw the excitement in her eyes. As the weeks passed, he even began to feel a sense of relief that Blaine’s prediction wasn’t going to come true. 

He was repairing one of the sophomore hero students' costumes when Isabelle waltzed into the workroom her voice chipper as she practically sang to Kurt, “So Monday the freshmen start the unit on costume design. What project are you going to give them?”

Kurt stared at her as if she had grown a second head, “What? Since when is that my job?”

She returned his baffled look. “Didn’t we talk about this after you transferred Sura into my class? I could have sworn we did.”

She shrugged as if the whole matter was just a formality, “It doesn’t matter. You obviously have way more experience to teach these kids than I do.”

“I literally only started designing hero costumes  _ this _ summer. You have been studying this since you were these kids' age.” Kurt retorted incredulously. 

Isabelle rolled her eyes at him, “Yes,  _ hero  _ costumes. But didn’t you say you started designing your own clothes when you were in preschool? Besides you are way better at it than I am. I’m more of a tech girl, I love me some gadgets. So what do you say?”

It was clear that Isabelle expected only one answer out of Kurt. 

“No,” he said with finality. 

And just as he predicted she looked like he had just told her Santa wasn’t real. “But Kurt-”

“Isabelle, I don’t know the first thing about teaching,” He interrupted her. “When we talked months ago, you never mentioned anything about me possibly teaching. I was supposed to be here to help design and maintain costumes, that’s it. That is all we discussed. I love working for you- but I don’t think I am up for this.”

She looked so disappointed Kurt wanted to take his words back, he just couldn’t. “Kurt, have you ever listened to yourself talk when you get started on design? You have this infectious enthusiasm when you get started, it is amazing. You don’t have to know anything about being a teacher, because you already are. All you have to do is share your enthusiasm with those kids. Please, just give it a try. Not just for me, but for yourself.”

As he listened to her Blaine’s words echoed in his head. He had been saying the same thing to him. Kurt sighed, “Fine, one unit, but if I don’t like it, then never again.”

When he told Blaine about his conversation later that evening, he could see him struggling not to boast that he had warned Kurt. Instead he tried to hide his smug smile as he said, “I’m sure you’ll do great. Let me know if you need any help with lesson plans.”

Kurt pouted as Blaine kissed him on the cheek before quickly retreating. He had to hide his own smile when he heard Blaine laughing in the other room. 

As it turned out, Kurt learned that teaching was kind of-  _ fun.  _ There was something about seeing a class of kids being so engaged by something you were talking about, seeing understanding light in their eyes. It helped that Sura was there, furiously writing notes, even though he knew he was just rehashing what they had already discussed on that first day. 

As the class drew to an end, he warned them, “Tomorrow we will be putting all this into use. Come ready to use those brains of yours to create.”

“How was it?” Blaine asked when Kurt entered the house that night. 

Kurt flopped down on the couch beside him and rested his head on Blaine’s shoulder. “You know, I never really saw myself as a teacher, but this was- it was pretty amazing. I’m excited to see what they come up with.”

“You already have them designing?” Blaine asked. Kurt had been very closed-lipped with his plans. 

“Not yet, tomorrow.” He saw the surprised look on Blaine’s face. “I know I probably should have started with the basics of construction and worked our way up from there. But I think if we start with their ideas, and then figure out how they can execute them it will make learning all those tedious parts more fun.”

Blaine looked at him like he was the most wondrous sight he had ever seen. “Will you ever stop surprising me?”

“God, I hope not. Where is the fun in that?” Kurt laughed. 

The next day, Kurt presented the class with their projects. He pulled a stack of envelopes out of his bag and held them before the class.

“I’m going to pass these out. They are sealed for a reason. Just take one and pass the rest of the stack back. I want this to be completely random.” He instructed as he gave the first student in each row a portion of the envelopes. 

As they passed them out he continued. “Do not open your envelopes yet, just keep them at your desk. Inside you will find a request form for a former student along with their picture. You will use these forms to design a costume for them. From these designs by the end of the unit you will create your costume. I will walk you through each step along the way. You may now open your envelopes. I will be here if you have any questions.”

He watched as they opened their envelopes with trepidation. He watched their faces as they saw the hero they would be designing for. Some looked relieved while others looked even more worried than before. He looked over at Sura who looked like she had just been sentenced to death. He walked over to her and asked, “Is there something wrong?”

Her terror seemed to amplify as she looked up at him and whispered, “I got Mr. Anderson.”

“Okay.” Kurt said calmly hoping it would ease her fears. “Why is that a bad thing?”

“It’s a lot of pressure,” she looked away. 

Kurt knelt down beside her desk. “Every single one of those envelopes contains a hero that in one way or another has a quirk that will take thought when designing. You are in no greater disadvantage than anyone else in this room. Think of it not as a challenge but an opportunity to be creative in accommodating their differences.”

“It’s not just his wings,” She said, looking at him with pleading eyes. “He’s your husband isn’t he? That is what everyone is saying. What if I mess this up?”

Kurt smiled sweetly at her, “First of all, Mr. Anderson and I are not married yet, but since he is my partner, I happen to have designed many things for him, so I can help you if you get stuck on any particular aspect. And secondly, I promise there is no way you can mess this up. While you are designing using Blaine as your inspiration, you aren’t actually designing a suit for him. You don’t have to please him as a client. All I want to see is what kind of creativity you bring to the table. Okay?’

He could see her relief as she sighed, “Okay.”

Kurt fielded more questions from other students. Most were worried with how to accommodate the quirks they were given. He was pleased though that by the time the class was coming to an end, everyone had at least started sketching. 

Just before the bell rang, Kurt announced, “I would like you to be ready to present your design to me by Monday. This gives you just under a week to finish them. We will of course have time in class to work on them. Remember, have fun with it. These are hero costumes after all.”

As the students filed out of the room, he listened to their excited chattering and couldn’t help the proud feeling that bloomed in his chest. Maybe Blaine and Isabelle had been right. He was a teacher.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

A couple of weeks later, Kurt was working with his class of freshman in the student workroom when Blaine walked in. To most of the students, Blaine looked just like any teacher popping in on a colleague to ask a question, but Kurt could see the worry in his eyes. 

“Can I steal you for a second?” Blaine asked as soon as their eyes met.

“Janice, you have this part down, can you help Henry for a moment?” Kurt asked a nearby student. Once he was sure she was up for the task, Kurt hurried out the door. 

Blaine was already standing in the hallway. “Agent Monroe just called me,” he said as soon as the door shut behind Kurt. “He wants to meet with me this afternoon.”

“Wait, just with you?” Kurt asked, taken back. 

Blaine nodded, “Initially. I asked him if it had anything to do with your parents. When he said yes, I insisted that you be included.”

“He was seriously going to leave me out of this? I’m the one that deserves answers,” Kurt seethed, before thinking about what he was saying. “Not that I think you shouldn't be a part of the conversation.”

Blaine smiled, “I knew you would feel that way, that was why I told him that if he wanted me, he needed to include you.”

“Do you think they found anything?” Kurt was almost afraid to hear his answer. 

Blaine took Kurt's hand, “I don’t think he would have called if he hadn’t. We are meeting in the conference room at 3.”

“The conference room? Why not at the house?” Kurt questioned. 

Blaine shrugged, “I don’t know, apparently he had already arranged it with the headmaster.”

When Kurt returned to class he could barely concentrate on his work. Thankfully his students seemed to sense his mood and were on their best behaviour. When class ended he saw their concerned looks and tried to give them encouraging smiles. By their reactions he was fairly certain he failed . 

He was glad Isabelle wasn’t in the workroom when he returned. He didn’t even try to work, he just sat and contemplated what he was about to learn. He knew nothing Monroe told him would change anything about his parents’ fate, but he hoped that any answers would help ease the guilt that was eating at Kurt’s stomach. There had been a tiny voice in the back of his head telling him that it was unfair that he had been able to come to this world when his parents hadn’t been able to return. 

Just before three, Kurt entered the conference room. The sight that met him froze him on the spot. The room was full of heroes decked out in their costumes, the only ones in street clothes were Monroe, Blaine and Kurt. He unstuck himself and hurried to Blaine’s side. 

“What-” was all Kurt could get out. 

Blaine shook his head and murmured, “I have no idea.”

Monroe looked around the room before calling the meeting to order. “Now that we are all here, please have a seat so we can get started.”

Kurt sat in the closest chair and as soon as Blaine was seated beside him Kurt latched on to his hand with a deathgrip. He felt sick to his stomach and it felt like his heart was replaced by an empty feeling of foreboding. It took all his willpower to focus on Monroe as he stood at the head of the table. 

“Thank you all for coming. I have assembled this multi-agency team together for an important mission that the Department has been working on for over 30 years. I know that Dalton is out of the way for a lot of you but we couldn’t have this compromised if any one noticed all of you coming to the New York office. Before I begin detailing the mission itself I need to brief you on the case. As you can imagine we have gathered a lot of information over the last 3 decades, I ask that you save all questions you may have until the end.”

Kurt hung his head as he listened to Monroe speak, it was clear he never had any intention of telling Kurt any of the things he was about to hear. He squeezed Blaine’s hand knowing that he was the sole reason why he was included in the meeting. 

“In the late 80’s early 90’s there was a villain network with major hubs in San Francisco, Chicago, and New York City. They were careful in their crimes, and operated for years before we became aware of their presence. It wasn’t until the disappearances began to grow that heroes in these cities even knew there was a problem. They targeted at-risk groups so for the most part the true number could never be counted.” Monroe continued until Starchild stood up. Kurt hadn’t even known he was there. 

“I’m sorry, I know you asked for no questions, but what crimes did they commit? What disappearances are you talking about? I’ve never heard about anything like this before.” Elliot said. Kurt saw Chameleon beside him and several others nodding in agreement. 

Monroe sighed, “We believe they were involved with human trafficking, some of their victims were found being used as slave labor, others having been sold into quirk marriages or into the sex trade. We got our first solid lead on the heads of these hubs in 1992 when The Angel in Chicago led a mission to capture the leader of the Chicago group. It was a man by the name of Fritz Wendell. With his capture and some detective work we identified the heads of the other two hubs. The New York City branch was run by his father, Pete Wendell while his brother Max was in charge of the San Francisco branch. All three Wendell’s have variations of teleportation quirks. This is what made it so easy for them to kidnap their victims. They also had gangs of underlings to help wreak havoc at their bidding, making them formidable foes.”

“Not long after the capture of Fritz Wendell, in October 1992, a group led by Mega in San Francisco made to take down the brother Max. Unfortunately before their mission could begin, Max and his gang ambushed The Angel and her husband Burt Hummel who happened to be vacationing in the area at the time. We have no reason to believe she knew about the brother, each city was operating under the assumption that their hub was the only one.”

Hearing these words, anger shot through Kurt. Before he could think better of it he shouted, “Why didn’t you tell the heroes that this was bigger than they thought? How many lives did you put in danger by withholding this information?”

“Mr. Hummel, I understand your distress but I was not even with the Department at the time. Much has been reformed since then.” Monroe replied coolly before turning back to the group. 

“In this ambush, both the Hummel’s disappeared.” Monroe continued and Kurt saw many faces in the group flash with understanding. “Mega’s group was unable to capture Max Wendell and he escaped. However, the disappearances stopped as well. Around this time Pete Wendell passed away, but as I said, it seemed that even without capturing the younger brother, the group was no longer active. Until recently we believed that the Wendell’s could only transport people over a short distance. However, we have since discovered that this is not true at all.”

Monroe picked up a remote off the table and clicked it. A projector came to life and Kurt’s breath caught in his throat as his parents’ picture was displayed for the whole room to see. It was one of the pictures from Kurt’s phone. It had been taken the day his father had opened the Tire and Lube store. His mother was heavily pregnant with him. Kurt wasn’t sure why detective Monroe was showing this picture out of all that were on his phone. 

“As you can see, the Hummel’s made a life for themselves where Wendell sent them. If you look closely, you can also see that they were no longer in our world.” Monroe used a laser pointer to show the McDonalds sign just visible in the distance of the shop. He then pointed out several other things that while commonplace to Kurt, he knew were not seen here in this world. 

“Where did you get this?” one of the heroes Kurt didn’t recognize asked. 

Monroe nodded toward Kurt as he spoke, “Back in March, the Hummel’s son, Kurt, appeared in our world. It is our belief that either Max Wendell himself, or someone similar may have used their quirk to bring him back. We are at this time, unsure of the details.”

“How do we know that this man claiming to be the son of The Angel is who he says he is?” the same hero asked. 

Kurt wanted to say something, but Blaine squeezed his hand making him pause. Monroe’s voice was stern when he answered, “We at the Hero Department have completely vetted Mr. Hummel’s story. We are certain that he is telling the truth. Unfortunately, he did not grow up in a world with quirks and was unable to tell us details of what brought him here. His quirk is similar to his father’s and has nothing to do with teleportation. We have sufficient evidence that he was born into this other world and he could not have brought himself into ours of his own volition.”

Agent Monrow seemed to be scanning to see if anyone else was going to object. Kurt watched in surprise, he wouldn’t have expected Monroe to defend him so adamantly. 

When it looked like no one else was going to speak, Agent Monroe continued. “This brings us to our current mission. We believe that Max Wendell is operating again in this area. There have been increased instances of disappearances in the areas surrounding New York City. Due to the density of Hero Agencies in the City itself, we believe that he is targeting these smaller areas to avoid detection. We are not certain what his end goal may be, but we have enough information to know we must act now.”

The serious look on Monroe’s face made Kurt's stomach turn. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear more, but he was frozen in his seat. 

Agent Monroe took a deep breath as he clicked the remote and the picture displayed changed. It now showed a warehouse with dingy windows. “This is the front for Wendell’s operation. It is located in Queens. We have had Agents working tirelessly keeping the building under surveillance and using their quirks to map it out. We now believe that we are ready to take Max Wendell down for good. However, this will not be an easy operation. We know that Wednell once again has amassed a gang of goons to do his bidding. We also know from the past that Wendell is a tricky foe. His quirk makes him dangerous to encounter.”

Monroe clicked the remote once more as he spoke, “We also believe he is keeping his kidnap victims in the warehouse as well. Our top priority is keeping them safe.”

Tears sprang to Kurt’s eyes as he looked at the picture now projected. He wanted to be sick. He wanted to run. He wanted none of this to be true as he looked up at the faces of several children huddled together in large cages looking terrified. He felt Blaine stiffen beside him and it was as if the air was sucked out of the room as everyone took in the enormity of just what was at stake. 

“Kids?” Sam whispered in the silent room.

“I’m sure you all understand why we need to act quickly. Too much time has passed and we must do something now. If I have your commitments to this mission, I would like to begin detailing our plan of action.”

Kurt stood. Blaine looked at him with pleading eyes. “I- I don’t think I belong here.” Kurt mumbled. All eyes were on him. “I can’t- I can’t do what you all do. I’m not a hero.”

Kurt turned to leave, but was stuck where he was by Blaine’s hand still gripping his. 

“I have to-” Blaine began, but Kurt knew as soon as he saw that last picture that there would be no talking Blaine out of joining. 

“I know,” Kurt soothed. He squeezed Blaine’s hand once more before pulling away and hurrying out the door. 

It was hours later before Blaine returned home. A gush of relief washed over Kurt when he heard the door open. He had been sitting numbly on the couch, not able to wrap his brain around all that he heard. 

Blaine knelt at Kurt’s feet and looked up at him with worried eyes. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

Kurt shook his head, “Honestly, I don’t know. Do you think Aceso can knock me out until you come back home to me?” 

“Kurt,” Blaine practically whined. 

Kurt closed his eyes trying to calm his thoughts. “I want you to go. I keep thinking that your quirk will be so good for this, helping those kids stay calm. I just- this man Monroe was talking about, he sent my parents to an entirely different world. Blaine. What if he does it again?”

The dam that had been holding back his tears finally broke. Kurt continued through his sobs, “What if he sends you away from me? How could I get you back?”

“Would it make you feel better if I let you know I am not part of the team that will be taking Wendell down?” Blaine asked. 

Kurt’s breath hitched, “You’re not?” 

Blaine wiped the tears from Kurt’s face only to be replaced by more, “I’m part of the second wave. My priority is to rescue the children. There are heroes with quirks better suited to taking Wendell and his henchmen down.”

“When?” Kurt asked. 

Blaine kissed Kurt’s hands gently before responding, “We are meeting at the rendezvous point at six O’clock in the morning. We want to take them by surprise.”

They spent the rest of their evening, just being together. An odd mood settled over the house with the thought of what would be happening the next day. They stayed close, neither wandering far from the other. They tried not to talk about what tomorrow would bring, but it was ever present. 

Kurt busied himself cooking a simple meal, and Blaine hung close, helping when he could. Their hands entwined as they ate. Together they washed the dishes. As they snuggled on the couch, Blaine’s wings wrapping them in an additional layer of comfort, neither watched what was playing on the television. Kurt relished the feel of Blaine surrounding him. Blaine found solace in the warmth and weight of Kurt pressed up against him. 

Later in bed, Kurt tried to fend off his worries that this could be the last time he would have this. Blaine must have felt the tension that began to ride up Kurt’s spine again as he softly and tenderly began singing to him. Kurt let the calm wash over him as he drifted off to sleep.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

Blaine left in the morning with a lingering kiss, neither man voiced the fear in their hearts that it could be their last time together. Kurt gripped Blaine’s hand tightly before stealing all his courage and allowing Blaine to pull away. Once the door latched behind Blaine, it felt like a phantom lingered behind, sending chills up Kurt’s spine. He resisted the urge to chase after Blaine. 

As the minutes ticked by, Kurt repeated Blaine’s assurances in his mind over and over again as if they were a mantra and could keep Blaine safe. He was just the second wave. He wouldn’t be engaging with Wendell. He was doing it for those poor petrified children. 

Kurt couldn’t eat. He felt like a lead weight had settled in his stomach. He wished he could go back to last night and ask about Elliot and Sam. The realization that it wasn’t just Blaine he had to worry about rocked his entire body, it felt like everything dear to him was racing off to a doomed fight. He wished he was strong enough, brave enough to fight alongside them. If only he could keep them from harm. 

Eventually he settled on the couch in front of the television, some random Saturday morning talk show filling the silent house with nonsensical chatter. Kurt couldn’t focus, but the noise helped keep the worst of his thoughts at bay. Slowly, as time passed, Kurt began to calm down. The hosts on the screen continued to prattle on about unimportant matters, and Kurt took solace in that fact. 

_ If the plan went wrong, it would be on the TV by now, _ Kurt reminded himself. Eventually Kurt made himself a cup of tea and snuggled down on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him. He picked up the remote and was about to flip through the channels to see if he could find something worthwhile to watch when a voice broke through the chatter. 

“Breaking news! It seems that a raid is going down at a warehouse in Queens. Many heroes from different agencies are on hand. The damages to the area are already extensive, please avoid the area if you can. We now take you to Candy Douglas who is on the scene in Chopper 5 with the latest.”

Kurt was frozen as images filled the screen. Smoke was rising from the warehouse and he could see vague shapes on the street grappling together. 

“As you can see, it seems to be a large scale operation happening below.” A woman's voice announced over the live feed. 

Kurt strained his eyes trying to catch sight of anyone he knew as she continued to narrate what she could distinguish of the activity below her. Many of the hero names she mentioned didn’t mean anything to Kurt, but he listened for the three he knew. 

“I see Nightbird down there as well,” She declared and Kurt tried to find him in the chaos. “He was a rising star a few years ago. I know a lot of his fans miss seeing him on the street regularly. Sources say he is now a teacher at Dalton Academy. If that is true, that means that this was a highly organized raid.”

Then Kurt saw him, swooping down to engage with what Kurt could only guess was one of Wendell’s goons who was attacking one of the other heroes. 

Kurt couldn’t pull his eyes away from the screen. It looked like things weren’t going according to plan. Blaine wasn’t supposed to be fighting. He was supposed to be rescuing the children inside. Each sight he caught of Blaine was an assurance that he was safe for the time being. 

His front door slammed open and he jumped on the couch and swiveled to look towards it. All of class B rushed inside. 

“Mr. Hummel?” the student in the lead said as they filled the living room. Kurt recognized him as Dan, one of the boys who helped Blaine rescue him what seemed like a lifetime ago. 

“He’ll be okay,” Kurt heard himself saying as he turned back to watch the action once more. “He has to be.”

Silently the group watched. Kurt felt their silent support, knowing he wasn’t the only one worried about Blaine. An explosion rocked the scene, and Kurt couldn’t tell if it was from friend or foe. 

“Some of the heroes are entering the building,” the newscaster declared. Kurt strained his eyes to see where she was talking about and caught a brief glimpse of black wings as they disappeared through the door of the building. 

He felt a hand grip his and looked over to see one of the girls from Blaine’s class looking white as a ghost. He squeezed her hand and said, “He’s going to get the kids out safely.”

“Kids?” another girl asked.

“They are there to rescue kidnapped children.” Kurt told them. 

It was all like a strange movie, as they tried to discern what exactly was going on. The longer the fight went on, the more people gathered in Kurt and Blaine’s living room. Isabelle was soon perched on the arm of the couch on Kurt’s other side. Other than that Kurt couldn’t have told you who else was there. 

Every once in a while, Kurt would see Blaine racing out of the building only to enter it again. He tried to tell himself that each glimpse he caught was one more child safe because of Blaine. 

Kurt watched him race back into the building as the fray seemed to be dying down outside. It looked as if everything was almost over. Kurt just had to hope that Wendell had been caught. 

Just then the building shook with another explosion and plumes of dust erupted into the air obscuring the warehouse from the view of the camera. 

“Oh God!” Candy Douglas exclaimed. “The building has just collapsed with at least several of the heroes inside.” The helicopter circled downwind and Kurt couldn’t believe the devastation he was seeing. Where the warehouse once stood only rubble remained. Kurt’s mind raced as he tried to remember where he had last seen Blaine. In or out, safe or- Kurt couldn’t let his mind go there. 

The reporter began naming all the heroes she could still see, a roll call of the safe. He caught Starchild and Chameleon’s names but no matter how much he wanted to he couldn’t change the fact that Nightbird didn’t leave her lips. 

“She probably just can’t see him,” someone said. 

Kurt just sat there in horror, scanning the scene himself trying to find Blaine. Soon the raid turned into a different kind of rescue mission as the heroes on site were joined by others as they tried to get to those who could be trapped inside. No mentions were made naming those they knew were safe anymore. It seemed like forever that they watched unable to clearly discern what was happening. 

Then Kurt’s phone rang. 

Kurt picked it up off the couch beside him to see Elliots face smiling back. Feeling his bile rise, he answered. 

“Kurt?” Elliot said with a shaky voice 

“Please tell me he is okay.” Kurt barely croaked out. 

“You need to get to the hospital. It’s-” But Kurt didn’t hear what it was as the phone slipped from his fingers and a sob erupted from his throat. 

Everyone looked on in horror as Isabelle picked up the phone. Kurt couldn’t make out her words over his own tears. His mind was in a loop of ‘not Blaine’ until his head was yanked up and his eyes opened in shock. Isabelle was looking fiercely at him, her face stoic as she spoke. 

“You don’t have time for this right now. I need to get you to the hospital. Blaine needs you.” she turned to one of the students, “Go get Aceso and have her go to Trinity Hospital. Tell her Mr. A needs her.”

Kurt couldn’t remember the ride to the hospital, it was all a blur as he tried to calm himself. He knew he couldn’t be an hysterical mess if he was going to do Blaine any good. He needed to be strong. Isabelle led them through like an expert and soon they were standing in front of a desk. “This is Blaine Anderson’s boyfriend. Can you please tell us how he is?”

“I’m sorry ma’am but we can only release information to immediate family,” the woman answered. Kurt felt like his heart had completely stopped. 

“You don’t understand, Mr. Hummel  _ is  _ Blaine’s family.” Isabelle insisted. 

The woman shook her head, “Legally speaking they are not. You may sit in the waiting room and when his family arrives they can give you updates as they see fit.”

Isabelle made to argue back but Kurt rested his hand on her elbow to stop her. She looked at him in shock. 

“Aceso should be here,” Kurt reminded her. “She knows.”

They sat in the waiting room silently. The longer they waited the more Kurt’s dread grew. Hadn’t Aceso been able to heal him in almost an instant? Isn’t that why Sam had bemoaned the fact that she hadn’t been there for his accident?

A horrible thought took Kurt’s breath away.  _ Had Aceso even come? _

Kurt was about to voice this fear when a loud voice drifted over to them from the desk. “I received a call that my son had been brought in. Blaine Anderson.”

Kurt’s head jerked to see a tall man with short grey hair looming over the receptionist, a tiny dark haired woman just a step behind him. While Mr. Anderson looked angry and ready to yell at anyone who didn’t do exactly what he wanted, his wife looked beside herself with worry. 

“I’ll let the doctors know you are here please wait over there,” the woman behind the counter told them indicating to the area where Kurt sat. 

As the couple approached, Kurt stood, his whole body shaking. “Mr. and Mrs. Anderson, I’m Kurt Hummel, Blaine’s boyfriend,” he said as soon as they were close enough. 

He saw recognition ignite in Mrs. Anderson’s eyes, but her husband remained cold. He turned towards his wife and asked, “Did you know anything about that?”

He might as well have been asking if she had cleaned up the cat’s sick than his youngest son’s relationship by the way he said it. Kurt felt Isabelle take his arm in silent support. 

Mrs. Anderson replied meekly, “Of course, Blaine talks about him all the time.”

Mr. Anderson didn’t seem to think this required any type of response as he just turned and glared at the doors again. They stood in silence and waited. Soon the doors opened and a man in a white coat entered looking serious. “For Anderson?” 

“Please, how is he?” Kurt hurried to ask, earning another glare from Blaine’s father. 

“Mr. Anderson came in with several serious injuries. It seems he was crushed beneath a support beam from the building while trying to protect a young girl. His wings were crushed and he sustained fractures in both his arms, several ribs and vertebrae, as well as a concussion and some internal bleeding. Thankfully just before his arrival, Aceso showed up and was able to heal most of his injuries. Unfortunately she was not able to completely heal his wings. He is resting right now, but we believe he will make a full recovery.”

“Can we see him?” Kurt asked before anyone else could speak. He needed to see Blaine with his own eyes to truly know that he was really alright. 

Before the doctor could answer Mr. Anderson said coolly, “I think only family should see him for now.”

“But I am his family.” Kurt protested. “We live together. I need to see him. I need to know that he is going to be okay. You can’t keep me from him.”

“Unfortunately sir, unless his family says you can come in, legally I can not admit you.” the doctor said. 

“But he’s my boyfriend, he’s my everything,” Kurt cried. 

“Without their permission, there is nothing I can do until he wakes up and tells me himself,” the doctor reiterated. 

“Why don’t you go home.” Mr. Anderson’s cold voice sealed his fate. 

As the doctor led them away, Kurt collapsed on the ground, gut wrenching sobs wracking his body. Isabelle cradled him in her arms, trying to hold him together. Neither saw Mrs. Anderson turn to look at them one last time with tears glistening in her eyes. 

Kurt wasn’t sure how long he cried on the waiting room floor before he heard Isabelle’s words in his ears. “He’ll be alright Kurt, you’ll get to see him soon. Why don’t I take you home?”

“No,” he finally said. “I can’t go back home, I can’t be there knowing Blaine is here. I’ll wait as long as it takes.”

He finally made it back into a chair and calmed himself down. Isabelle looked at him with lost eyes, he could tell she didn’t know what to do. 

“Why don’t you go back to my place and let the kids know he is going to be okay. I’ll be fine.” Kurt told her. 

“I can’t leave you,” she protested. 

Kurt couldn’t bring himself to smile, instead he patted her knee trying to reassure her. “I’ll be fine. I’m just going to wait here until I can see him. I traveled across worlds to be with him, I’m not going to let a little thing like stupid hospital policies keep me from him for long.”

“Can I bring you anything?” she asked. 

“Um, my bag that is by the door? It has my wallet and keys in it. I didn’t think to grab it before.” 

She squeezed his hand one more time before standing, “Okay. I’ll be back soon. I’ll text when I get here.”

Kurt watched her go. 

Once alone, a new calm washed over Kurt. He knew Blaine would be okay. He had faith in Aceso’s healing ability and Blaine was a fighter. Kurt could get through this too. He would eventually get to see Blaine, and though being kept from his love was a sickening thought, he reasoned with himself that it was only temporary. 

Kurt thought about what the doctor had said, Blaine had been hurt trying to keep a little girl safe. Pride welled within Kurt at the selfless act. Not many would have put themselves in harm’s way for another. He knew Blaine was a hero, but it wasn’t just a job title, it was who he was, completely. 

“Kurt!” the sound of his name startled him out of his thoughts. He looked up to see Sam and Elliot rushing towards him looking worried. 

Elliot looked confused when he asked, “No news yet?”

“He’s going to be okay. Aceso was here and she was able to heal him for the most part. He’s unconscious though.” Kurt told them.

“But then what are you still doing out here?” Sam asked. 

Kurt looked away. “Blaine’s parents are here and they won't give permission for me to see him. I guess he still has them listed as his emergency contact, and because we aren’t married, I don’t count as family.” 

“That is ridiculous.” Elliot spat. “You are Blaine’s world.”

Kurt shrugged, “There isn’t anything I can do about it until he wakes up and with Aceso’s healing who knows how long that will be. It’s just one of those things you don’t think about until it comes up.” 

“Let me see what I can do,” Sam said and walked away. 

Elliot sat next to him in silence. 

“Please tell me you at least got Wendell and that the kids are safe.” Kurt whispered. 

“Wendell is in custody. Blaine was rescuing the last girl when the explosion happened. She wasn’t with the rest of the kids but he heard her crying and went looking for her. Including her, 26 kids were rescued.” Elliot told him. 

“Is she okay?” Kurt asked, feeling dread. 

Elliot nodded, “A few scrapes, and terrified, but she seemed alright when we found them. All the kids are being checked out.”

“Any other injuries?” Kurt needed to know. 

“Nothing else major. There were a few heroes trapped inside but they were lucky.” Elliot said. 

“Did you- were you the one who-” Kurt couldn’t finish the sentence. 

He was surprised to see tears in Elliot’s eyes. “I found them, but I had to get help to get them out. All I could think when I saw Blaine laying there was that we promised you we would be safe.”

“This isn’t your fault. It isn’t Blaine’s either. Thankfully the person whose fault it is, is locked up and can’t hurt anyone else.” Kurt told him. 

Sam came back with a pout on his face that actually made Kurt want to laugh, “I don’t like that woman.” He morphed into her exact copy and he said, “I’m sorry sir, hospital policy is hospital policy we can’t change it for anyone. Unless his parents give permission you are not allowed access.”

Sam turned back into himself before adding, “I didn’t fight a bunch of low key villains to be thwarted by a woman on a powertrip.”

Across the distance, Kurt saw Mr. Anderson stalking across the lobby. He watched as his wife lightly touched him on the arm and said something to him. After a moment, he continued on his way and she turned toward the closest public restroom. As soon as Mr. Anderson was out of sight, she veered towards the reception desk. Kurt watched as she spoke to the woman Sam had just been impersonating. 

She then looked over at Kurt and their eyes met. She gave him a small smile, and walked toward him. 

“They’ll let you see him now. He’s in room 387. I gave them your name.” She said quietly. 

Kurt smiled at her in surprise, “You remember my name?” 

“Even if Blaine hadn’t told me all about you, I saw your name on his chest enough times, I couldn’t have forgotten it.” She seemed to check her surroundings before she added, “I’m sorry about my husband. Anytime he thinks he can wield power over anyone else he does. I hope I get to see you again soon under better circumstances.”

She looked around one more time before saying, “I had better go.” 

Mrs. Anderson kissed Kurt quickly on the cheek before hurrying off. 

Kurt barely was able to mutter, “Thank you,” before she was gone.

Kurt stood outside the door marked 387 and took a steadying breath, preparing himself for what he would see. He cautiously pushed the door open. 

Even though Blaine was not a big man, seeing him lying in his hospital bed, his wings and most of his body wrapped in bandages, hooked up with wires and tubes, Blaine seemed so small. Kurt wanted to wrap him up in his arms and in his love to keep him safe. 

Kurt crossed the room and looked down on his still, silent form. He leaned down, gently kissed his lips and murmured, “I love you. I’m here now.”

He pulled a chair closer to the bed and laced their fingers together. Kurt watched the rise and fall of Blaine’s chest and vowed to hold vigil until he woke up. Kurt promised in that moment he would never let anyone keep him from Blaine’s side again. 

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

“What are you doing here?” The harsh words woke Kurt with a start. 

It took him a moment to remember where he was; Blaine’s hospital room. He quickly checked the bed and Blaine was still unconscious. He had been for the last 2 days and Kurt had barely left his side since being admitted to Blaine’s room. 

Kurt looked towards the door to see a livid Mr. Anderson looming there. Small bursts of fire seemed to lick at his face as he glared at Kurt. Suddenly he remembered Blaine mentioning his father had a fire quirk. Mrs. Anderson quivered behind her husband, her dainty wings fluttering nervously. Kurt could see the terror in her eyes. 

“I’m waiting for Blaine to wake up,” Kurt said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

Another burst of small flames showed Kurt just how much this statement irked Blaine’s father. “And just how did you get in here? I believe I was clear that you were not welcome.”

“Thankfully, the nurses believed Aceso when she told them Blaine would want me here.” Kurt lied before adding cooly, “Of course, having my name literally written on his chest did a lot to convince them, too. By the way, you might want to put yourself out, this is a hospital after all. Unless you'd like to blow us all up.” 

Mr. Anderson seemed to want to yell for a moment before realizing that Kurt was probably right about the fire. He closed his eyes before responding. “I don’t know where that woman gets off trying to override my clear instructions-”

“Mr. Anderson, with all due respect, both you and I know that if Blaine had a say in the matter, he would want me here. I have no objections with you being here, all I am asking is for you to grant me the same courtesy.” Kurt turned his attention back to Blaine. In his mind the matter was over with. 

Kurt heard the couple enter the room, Mrs. Anderson scurried over to Blaine’s other side. Kurt watched as her hands hovered over her son for a moment, before her small hands gently grabbed Blaine’s other hand. He noticed how careful she was not to disturb his IV as she held it. 

Kurt smiled gently at her. “I’m sorry we were never properly introduced, I’m Kurt.”

“Evalina Anderson, Blaine has told me a lot about you,” she whispered. 

The exchange earned a huff from Mr. Anderson behind them. Kurt ignored him. 

“Some hero-” Mr. Anderson huffed again. 

“Kenneth-” Blaine’s mom gasped. 

Kurt turned and looked at him in shock. “What did you say?” 

Mr. Anderson straightened to his full height as if challenging Kurt, “What kind of hero ends up in the hospital like this? I tried to tell him he was too weak- but he never listens.”

“You think he ended up here because he was weak? What the hell do you even know about being a hero? Blaine is amazing and it is no one’s fault but yours that you refuse to see it. Getting hurt, or something bad happening to a hero is not a mark that they aren't good enough. Things happen beyond their control, all it takes is one moment, one instant and anything can happen.  _ Or _ in Blaine’s case you put yourself in harm's way to save another person. He is in that bed right now because he was trying to save a little girl, to make sure that that day was not her last, that she didn’t have to die alone and scared in a warehouse where she didn’t even belong. So how can you say he is too weak to do a job that you couldn’t do in a million years.” Kurt seethed. There was so much more he wanted to say to Kenneth Anderson, but stopped himself from unleashing his entire tirade. 

“How dare you speak to me that way. I am his father” Mr. Anderson’s voice was low and dangerous. 

Kurt made sure his voice was even when he responded. “And how dare you come into this hospital room, trying to act like you have ever been anything close to a supportive parent. Blaine has succeeded in spite of you, not because of you.”

“And what would you know about it?” he challenged. 

Kurt held his ground, “Do you think Blaine never told me how you treated him? How you tried to make his brother into the hero you couldn’t be even though he had no desire. That you ignored what Blaine wanted and refused to afford him the same luxury. How he worked to make it into the hero course alone? Or did you mean what do I know about being a supportive parent? My mother was the number 5 hero in Chicago until her disappearance. She and my father raised me in a world they were literally thrown into against their will. And still they gave me the love and support I needed. Losing  _ them _ is what made me lose my way. So don’t you dare try to challenge me about knowing what a good parent looks like. They got where they were both in their world and mine by their own skill, their own determination, and their own merits, they didn’t have to use those around them as pawns to make themselves feel like a success.”

“Why you insolent little-” 

Kurt didn’t hear the rest of what Mr. Anderson had to say as he heard his name coming from the bed. He looked down and saw Blaine’s eyes barely open. 

“Blaine,” Kurt exclaimed, taking his face in his hands. 

“Kurt, you’re here. Did I save her? Is she alright?” Blaine croaked. 

Tears sprang to Kurt’s eyes as he answered, “Of course I’m here, nothing could keep me away from you. You did it baby, you saved her and you’re both going to be wonderful.”

“ ‘M tired.” Blaine mumbled. 

Kurt gently smoothed his hand over Blaine’s forehead, “I know baby. It’s okay, you can go back to sleep. I'll be right here when you wake up.”

“Promise?” 

“I promise. I love you so much.” Kurt said, placing a soft kiss on Blaine’s dry lips. 

“Love you too,” Blaine said before his eyes shut once more. 

Kurt watched Blaine’s features relax into sleep. 

“I think it is clear what Blaine wishes,” a soft voice spoke across from him. Kurt looked to see Evalina Anderson standing, a defiant look in her eyes. 

“How dare-” Mr. Anderson began but Kurt cut him off. 

“Mrs. Anderson, you are more than welcome to stay. Mr. Anderson, I will have to ask you to leave unless you can act civilly. Blaine needs his rest and I would rather focus my energies on him than wasting them on arguing with you.”

In the end both the Anderson’s left, but Kurt could see Evalina did not want to. He hated that she was forced to leave by that overbearing man, but knew there was no helping it. 

Not long after the Anderson's left, Elliot and Sam arrived bringing Kurt food. Between them and Isabelle, they had made sure that he at least ate. 

“He’s still out?” Sam asked when they entered. 

“He was awake for a minute earlier, but went right back to sleep. Aceso’s healing takes energy, his body has to recover from that.” Kurt reminded them. 

“Did he say anything?” Elliot asked, handing Kurt his food. 

Kurt smiled, “He asked about the girl.”

Sam laughed, “Typical Blaine, I don’t think his brain takes a break from being a hero.”

“I think it was more that he had to make sure the job was done before he could let himself rest.” Kurt pointed out. 

The three friends chatted together for a while. Kurt was glad of the company, it helped to ease his worries. He knew the knot of anxiety in his stomach wouldn’t completely unravel until Blaine properly woke up, but it was nice to have a distraction from his own thoughts. 

Before long though, visiting hours were ending and they had to leave. Kurt was glad the nurses never brought up his own leaving. They had been wonderful to him in fact. When they were once again alone in the room, Kurt pillowed his head on Blaine’s arm, wishing he could crawl on the bed and hold him. 

“Take as long as you need to heal,” Kurt whispered, “but I miss talking to you.”

Kurt murmured quietly to Blaine until he drifted off to sleep. 

A hand combing through his hair woke him. The room was still dark and for a moment Kurt was sure he had dreamed it. He raised his head to see Blaine looking at him, his eyes clear. 

“Blaine!” Kurt rushed to say, trying to hold himself back from throwing himself on top of him. 

Blaine smiled at him, “I take it Aceso didn’t follow through with her threat not to heal me again.”

Kurt couldn’t hold back his tears, “Blaine-”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t joke about that yet. How mad was she?” Blaine asked, looking apologetic. 

Kurt shook his head, “Not mad, she- Blaine she couldn’t even completely heal you. Your wings are- she said that it would have been dangerous to do more.”

“What about my wings?” his voice was full of worry. 

Kurt soothed a hand down his arm, “They’ll be okay. She said she could only set the bones and start the healing process, that the rest would be up to you. Honestly if she wasn’t here- you might have lost them.”

Blaine closed his eyes, the lines between them deepening. “Damn it was that bad?”

“What do you remember?” Kurt asked gently. 

“I heard a little girl crying when I was taking out the last of the kids, she wasn’t with the rest. I went back in to find her. She was in a little room all alone. It was nicer than what the others had, it had a bed and a few toys- but there were locks on the door and no windows. I got her out of the room and was trying to get her outside when there was an explosion. The building shook and things started to fall. The last thing I remember is thinking that I had to keep her safe, that I couldn’t let that room be the last thing she remembered.” Blaine looked at him with tears in his eyes. 

“You saved her. They say you were lucky, your wings took the brunt of the damage or you could have severed your spinal cord. The way the building collapsed around you saved your lives though.” 

Hearing Kurt’s words Blaine started crying. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I promised to be safe and I almost died.”

“Blaine,” Kurt said, grabbing his attention, “As I told your father earlier, getting hurt doesn't make you a bad hero, things can happen in an instant. You risked your life to make sure that that little girl didn’t die alone and afraid. I am so proud of you.”

“You saw my father?” Blaine asked, shocked. 

“We had words.” Kurt said sheepishly. 

Blaine laughed, “And I slept through that? Please tell me you at least recorded it, I would give anything to have seen you put him in his place.”

“I’m sure I can recount it for you later.” Kurt shook his head. 

Blaine looked puzzled for a moment, “Why was he here? You didn’t call him did you?”

Kurt sighed, “Your parents are still listed as your emergency contact on your records. If it wasn’t for your mom going behind his back, I wouldn’t even be here now.”

“You mean she defied him? My mom?” Blaine said his eyes wide. 

“Twice.” Kurt said. 

“I missed so much.” Blaine marveled. 

Kurt filled him in on all that had transpired with his father. Kurt felt a weight lift off him, not just having Blaine awake, and seeming no worse for the wear, but also seeing his reaction to Kurt challenging his dad. 

Once Kurt finished, Blaine’s laughter faded away and he said solemnly, “I’m sorry though that the hospital called them in the first place. I never even imagined that they wouldn’t call you.”

“It was awful,” Kurt sighed. “They treated me like I was nothing to you. I hated it. It did get me thinking though-”

Kurt trailed off as he thought about what he wanted to say. Blaine grabbed his hand and tugged it, bringing Kurt’s attention back to him. 

“What?” he prompted. 

Kurt took a steadying breath, “We know how much we mean to each other, but to the world- they can’t see it and- I don’t want that. I want everyone to know how much I love you and that this isn’t just a sweet and simple buddening romance- this is forever.” Kurt took another steadying breath, “Blaine. I don’t want there ever to be a doubt again that you are my world. Will you marry me?”

Blaine’s eyes widened in shock and Kurt saw them glistening with tears. He wasn’t afraid of Blaine’s answer; he knew Blaine felt the same way. “Of course. As soon as I get out of here. I don’t need a big fancy ceremony. I just need you in my life. I don’t know why we didn’t do this sooner.”

Laughter burst out of both of them at the last statement but was cut off when Kurt lunged forward and kissed him. 

Kurt pulled back slightly and pointed out, “Because everyone would have thought we were crazy.”

They kissed again, drawn together like magnets. The next several minutes were filled with happy tears, kisses and half murmured plans until Blaine’s nurse interrupted them. 

Kurt stood as she began taking his vital signs. “While Nurse Grace does her thing, I’m going to call Sam and Elliot let them know you are awake.”

“Tell them they better take the day off when I get out of here- Isabelle too. We’ll go straight to the court house.” Blaine called after him, a huge smile on his face.

Both men were disappointed when they were told Blaine would have to stay until Wednesday morning. They spent the time making sure they had everything they would need so they could be married as soon as he was released. 

Tuesday evening, they were going over the documents Elliot had brought by for them earlier. 

“I am just glad they were able to get me a new birth certificate a few months ago. I would hate to have to put this off any longer just because the original is literally a world away.” Kurt laughed. 

A knock at the door drew their attention to it. Standing there was Agent Monroe. 

“Sorry to interrupt gentlemen, I came by to see how Mr. Anderson is recovering.” He said, sounding as official as ever.

Blaine smiled at him anyway, “I'm doing amazingly well thanks to Aceso.”

“I was sorry to hear about your injuries.” Monroe said before entering further into the room. “I wanted to give you both an update on what has happened since the raid.”

“Both of us?” Kurt asked. He knew Monroe had previously had no intentions of relaying any information until Blaine had insisted. 

“Yes. Well, Wendell and his gang have been put away. He is under the strictest security. We have learned that he must touch someone to use his quirk so that lessens his risk. We still don’t know a lot about how his quirk works, he won’t talk.”

Blaine squeezed Kurt’s hand, “At least he can’t do to anyone else what he did to Kurt’s family.”

“We are thankful he is off the street.” Monroe agreed. “All of the children have been returned to their families except for one. We can’t seem to find any missing persons descriptions that match her.”

“That’s awful.” Kurt gasped. 

“We are perplexed. It doesn’t help that she hasn’t said a word either.” Monroe nodded his head toward Blaine, “It was the little girl you were hurt saving. Is there anything you can tell us about her?”

Blaine looked stunned but answered, “She wasn’t with the others. They were all in cages in the middle of the warehouse. She was locked in a room near the back. It had a bed and a few toys.”

“Strange.” Monroe said, and seemed to be lost in thought. 

“What is going to happen to her,” Kurt asked. 

Monroe frowned, “She has been staying at the Hero Department headquarters. We don’t know what we are going to do with her. We don’t want to put her in a foster home in case anyone in the hub is looking for her, we don’t want to put anyone else in danger. While Wendell and the crew who were working at the warehouse have been neutralized, we can’t be certain yet that there aren’t any more of his underlings out there. It is a risk we can’t take.”

“You can’t keep a little girl at an office building. It’s no wonder she won’t talk, she has to be scared out of her mind.” Kurt protested. This poor little girl had been through so much already. 

“And what would you have us do, Mr. Hummel?” Monroe asked, clearly annoyed at their actions being questioned. 

“Let her come stay with us,” Kurt looked over at Blaine in surprise at his suggestion. 

“What?” Monroe looked at Blaine as if he had never seen anything like him before. 

“Listen, I’m not going to be able to go out and do any hero work for a while, I don’t even know when they will let me back in the classroom to teach. What better place is there to protect a scared little girl than with a hero. Besides, Dalton has one of the strictest security systems in the area. No one gets in or out without the staff knowing. Crime is nonexistent there. There hasn’t been a breach in security in decades and even longer since a villain has dared to attack the campus. There are literally heroes everywhere. So while you are looking for her family, let her come and stay with us.” Blaine turned and looked at Kurt with his big hazel eyes, “That is if it is okay with you, Kurt.”

“Of course, we have the room and we can make it work with the two of us even when you go back to class.” Kurt said, feeling oddly giddy at the prospect. 

Monroe seemed to think for a moment before speaking, “That may actually be for the best. You are both up to speed on the case and can let us know if she gives you any details that can help us find where she belongs. When are they planning to release you.”

“Tomorrow morning,” Blaine told him before beaming at Kurt, “We are going to the courthouse to be married right after. Perhaps you could bring her by in the evening so we can get things ready for her.”

Monroe agreed and left them soon after to make arrangements. 

“Why evening?” Kurt asked as soon as Monroe was gone. 

Blaine smiled at him mischievously, “Well I figured a brief honeymoon was better than none at all.”

Kurt kissed him for his cheekiness before they began figuring out what they would need to welcome a scared little girl into their home. 

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Before Blaine was released from the hospital the next morning, Kurt helped him dress in a new suit he had gone out to get the night before. It was light grey with just a little shimmer to the material. Kurt was careful not to put any pressure on Blaine’s wings as he pulled on his clothes. He used his quirk to slit the material and mend it perfectly around Blaine’s wings. 

Kurt stood back and took him in. Besides the stark white bandages around his wings, Blaine didn’t look like someone who was on death’s door mere days before. He looked handsome and perfect and as if he had stepped out of a younger Kurt’s dream. He couldn’t resist the sight and placed a gentle kiss on Blaine’s lips, filling the gesture with every ounce of love he had. 

“What was that for?” Blaine smiled at him when he pulled back, a blush painting his cheeks. 

Kurt returned the smile before saying, “I just can’t believe how lucky I am that I get to love you forever.”

“I think I’m the lucky one in this situation,” Blaine blushed again before asking, “How do I look?”

“Like a dream, just-” Kurt stepped forward and gently placed a hand over the bandages on one of his wings. It turned the same jet black as the feathers that lay underneath. He then did the same on the other side. 

“There, now you look more like yourself.”

Blaine had called his mom the night before and asked her to drive them home when he was released. Kurt knew Blaine didn’t feel bad excluding his father from his big day, he had shown that he would not hold his tongue about his opinions. Blaine had also told Kurt that he doubted his father would miss work for such an event either. 

The ceremony was small and simple, only attended by Evalina, Elliot, Sam and Isabelle. 

After the ceremony, Isabelle offered them a ride back to their house. They bid heartfelt goodbyes to the others. As a sort of wedding gift, Isabelle even refrained from teasing them as they snuggled up in the backseat of the car together, exchanging sweet kisses and basking in each other. She even offered to let Blaine’s students know he was home and resting and would come by and see them first thing in the morning if they promised to leave them alone until then. She also vowed to keep their wedding a secret so Blaine could tell them himself. 

Once they were alone, Kurt took his time worshiping every inch of Blaine’s body before officially consummating their marriage. He poured every ounce of his love into making sure that Blaine knew he was cherished and loved. Naked and entwined together the only thing that Kurt missed was Blaine’s wings wrapping protectively around his body. He took solace in the fact that he had forever ahead of him to enjoy their gentle caress against his body. 

As the afternoon arrived, they extracted themselves from their bed and began readying the house for their little visitor. As Kurt bustled around the guest room, transforming it from a sophisticated space for visiting friends to what he hoped would be a welcoming room for a scared little girl, he couldn’t help but think back to everything Sam, Elliot and their agency had done for him so many months ago. He wanted to make this poor child feel just as safe and welcome as they had made him 

The walls were a pale grey, Kurt wished he could brighten them up a little. Instead he added color the way only he could under such short notice. He used his quirk to make the curtains a bright yellow. The bedding he transformed from a deep navy to a vibrant plaid of yellows, greens, pinks and blues with coordinating pillows and sheets. 

While Kurt worked, Blaine packed away the books and knick knacks from the shelves into boxes. When he started to pick them up Kurt chastised him, “You are supposed to be taking it easy.”

Blaine laughed, “I’ll be fine Kurt, they aren’t that heavy.”

“Please, just leave them. I really don’t want Aceso to come after me if you end up hurting yourself.” Kurt said, trying his hand at puppy dog eyes. 

“Fine,” Blaine sighed playfully, “the less questions she asks the better. I don’t want to be lectured about making love to my husband.”

Kurt could feel a blush painting his cheeks. It was almost surreal to think they were actually married now. As much as Kurt thought it wouldn’t change anything, there was something special in knowing others could see them and know that they were forever. He held his left hand up and examined the simple platinum band now residing there. 

“I didn’t think it would make me this happy.” Kurt mumbled. 

“What do you mean?” Blaine asked slowly.

Kurt smiled softly, “I mean, I already knew you were it for me, that I would love you forever. I didn’t think rings and a piece of paper would mean so much to me. I knew what was in our hearts and that what we felt was real, it shouldn’t change that but- now no one can doubt it, or question it and there is something special in that too.”

“I like that I can call you husband. I didn’t grow up believing in soul mates, so this- this is what I always dreamed of.” 

They kissed in the middle of the room lost in each other until Blaine’s phone began to ring. 

Kurt extracted himself from his husband and hurried to grab one of the boxes to put in the closet of his office. When he returned to grab the other one Blaine told him, “That was the guard at the front gate, the Department rep just checked in and they should be here in 5 minutes.”

Suddenly Kurt was filled with nerves. He fumbled to pick up the other box to put it away. Blaine must have noticed, he placed a gentle hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “Relax, she’s just a little girl.”

“I know,” Kurt tried to smile, “I just- I just want to help her.”

“We will, I know we will.” Blaine said. His optimism buoyed Kurt’s spirits and he felt at ease once more. 

Kurt stood back when Blaine opened the door to the Department rep. He didn’t take in a word she and Blaine exchanged, he was entranced by the little girl standing by her side. She was tiny, and looked no more than 3 years old. Her long black hair hung in her face, almost obscuring it. Her skin was pale, as if she hadn’t spent any time in her short life outside. She lifted her head and their eyes met. She had ice blue eyes, so pale they weren’t much darker than the whites. He smiled sweetly at her and she suddenly looked back down at her feet. 

Kurt approached her and knelt down. He spoke softly to her, “Hi, my name’s Kurt. What’s your name?”

She lifted her head but before she could say anything the rep said, “She doesn’t speak. She’s a Jane Doe.”

“Do you like it when people call you Jane?” Kurt asked, ignoring the woman. The little girl shook her head ever so slightly. 

“Well then, we will just have to find a nickname you do like until you are ready to tell us your real name. Does that sound good?” He held out his hand and after a moment she nodded before taking it. 

“Do you remember Blaine?” Kurt asked her, pointing over at him. “He helped you.”

Her eyes grew wide, but she nodded quickly. 

“He’s a great hero isn’t he? Do you want to stay with us for a little while?” Kurt asked, hoping that this was what she wanted. 

His heart swelled when she squeezed his hand and nodded once more. 

As Blaine finished handling the details with the rep, Kurt sat with her on the stairs going through every nickname he could think of, each one being dismissed with a small shake of her head, “Honey? Dear? Sweetie? Baby?”

Just as the rep left, Kurt was running out of ideas, “Giggles?” 

A silent giggle answered along with a small nod. 

“Giggles it is.”

Despite her nickname, Giggles remained quiet the rest of the evening. She kept by Kurt’s side, but kept looking at Blaine with wide wondering eyes. They tried to keep things simple, and not overwhelm her too much. They showed her her room, and they ate quietly in the kitchen. As they settled on the couch in front of the tv, she finally scooted a little closer to Blaine. She reached her little hand out and placed it over one of Blaine’s bandaged wings.

“Are you worried about my wings?” Blaine asked her softly. She just looked at him, “I hurt them but they will be as good as new soon. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

Kurt watched as tears filled her eyes but before he could say anything to comfort her, she wrapped her arms around Blaine’s neck holding him close. “It’s okay Giggles, don’t cry. I promise everything will be okay.”

It was hard leaving her in her room all alone, she looked so tiny on the queen sized bed. Blaine sang softly to her until she drifted off to sleep. Kurt slept fitfully that night, which was a surprise considering it had been days since he had slept in an actual bed. He kept waking up expecting to hear cries coming from the room down the hall. 

The next morning, Kurt quietly opened her door. Giggles was sitting up in the middle of the big bed, her hands folded neatly in her lap, silent as ever. She startled slightly when she saw Kurt standing in the doorway.

“It’s okay,” Kurt said softly to her. “If you woke up, you could have come and got us. You don’t have to sit in here all alone.”

She looked up at him with tears brimming in her big eyes with a look of utter disbelief. 

“The door is only closed so we don’t disturb you. If you want to keep it open, if that makes you feel better, we can do that.” Kurt soothed her as he approached her bed. 

She seemed to draw in on herself for a moment but turned and looked back up at Kurt. She seemed to think for another moment before she reached out to him. 

“Are you hungry?” Kurt asked, picking her up.

She nodded. 

“Well Giggles, how about we get dressed and then we can go get some breakfast.” Kurt’s heart wanted to burst when she smiled. 

Kurt frowned at the oversized shirt she was wearing. 

“One problem, we still need to go buy you some new clothes.” Kurt pretended to ponder for a moment before declaring, “I know how about we raid my closet and I can show you a magic trick.”

Kurt carried her to his and Blaine’s room. Blaine was dressed and was making the bed. He smiled at them both as they entered. “I don’t know about you two, but I think I want pancakes for breakfast.”

Giggles nodded emphatically and struggled to be put down. Kurt obliged and watched her run over to Blaine with another huge smile on her face. She wrapped his leg in her arms and Kurt watched as Blaine patted her head tenderly. Kurt then turned to his closet and found a polo shirt and pulled it out. 

“Okay, are you ready for my magic trick?” Kurt asked as he emerged. 

Giggles looked at him expectantly. He placed the shirt on the bed and looked at it for a moment. He pictured the shape changing, shrinking down to become a dress. Once the transformation was complete, he looked over to her. Her eyes were wide and she had a look of delight on her face. 

“Now, what color would you like?” Kurt asked. “Pink?” She shook her head. “Purple?” another head shake she then ran to his closet and pointed to a red shirt. “Red it is then.” With a wave of his hand the white shirt turned red. Giggles clapped her tiny hands and ran to pick it up. 

Dressed and ready to go they headed downstairs. “We need to go grocery shopping. We usually eat in the cafeteria. Classes have already started so it should be empty. If for some reason you get uncomfortable tap me 3 times. Okay? Can you do that?” Kurt said. Giggles looked at him seriously and nodded her head. 

As they walked across campus Kurt carrying Giggles, Blaine said, “After we eat, I should drop in on my students. I don’t want to worry them. Can I do that while you go and get Isabelle’s car?” 

“I’m honestly surprised they didn’t storm our door first thing this morning.” Kurt laughed before adding to Giggle. “This is a school. Blaine teaches kids how to be heroes. They haven’t seen him since we got back.”

Blaine smiled at her, “Maybe when you get bigger you can go to school here too.”

When they entered the cafeteria, instead of finding it empty Blaine’s class was sitting talking. They approached the table unnoticed by the group. 

“And why aren’t you all in class?” Blaine said with feigned sternness. 

All eyes were suddenly on him. Kurt marvelled at the looks of elation and relief at seeing their teacher standing before them all right. 

“Miss Cohen-Chang is having us split the morning with her class.” Gillian, the class president piped up before anyone else could speak. 

She had barely gotten the words out before the rest of the students began speaking at once. The main theme of their exclamations was, ‘Mr. A. You’re okay.”

Kurt felt Giggles tense in his arms and he rubbed gently on her back to try and help calm her. 

Blaine held up his hands quieting the class. “It’s Mr. Hummel now, actually.”

A new wave of exclamations filled the room, echoing off the walls. Kurt felt three taps on his breastbone. He looked down to see Giggles with wide frightened eyes. 

“How about we go grab our food and we leave Blaine to talk to his students.” He said softly as they walked away. 

She nodded earnestly. 

He carried her over and together they picked out what they were going to have for breakfast.”

“Well, I think Blaine would like blueberry pancakes,” Kurt told her with a wink, “How about some scrambled eggs and bacon too?”

She walked beside him as Kurt carried their tray over to a table far enough away from the students that they shouldn’t bother her, but she could still see them. After a few minutes Blaine joined them at the table. 

“In case you couldn’t tell, they were happy for us,” he said kissing Kurt on the cheek before turning to Giggles. “We were just married yesterday, so my students didn’t know. They were also happy to hear you were coming to stay with us for a while. I am so proud of you for letting Kurt know it was a little too much.”

Kurt’s heart broke at the stunned expression on her face. It almost seemed like no one had ever told her they were proud of her. She dug into her pancake with more gusto that she had previously. 

They spent the rest of the morning shopping. They made sure they got everything a little girl could want. Clothes, books, toys, and art supplies filled their shopping cart. As they rounded one aisle, Giggles suddenly burst from their side running away. Before Kurt could call out to her she stopped and craned her neck taking in the variety of stuffed toys on the shelf. He watched as her eyes raked across each animal one by one. She looked with purpose and Kurt watched her face morph from excited to disappointed as she didn’t seem to find what she was looking for.

“Was there something you wanted?” Kurt knelt down and asked her. 

She just looked at him with tears in her eyes. 

“Why don’t you choose a different one for now and maybe when we get home you can draw what you wanted for us and we can see what we can do.” Kurt encouraged her. 

She let her eyes rove over the plushies once more. It seemed like forever before she finally pointed at a turquoise elephant high above her head. Blaine grabbed it for her and Kurt watched as she squeezed it experimentally. A small but sad smile turned her lips and she nodded to Kurt. 

By the time they were finished in that store, Kurt could tell the morning had taken its toll on both the little girl and Blaine. Their eyes were a bit heavier and their movements slower. It reminded Kurt that Blaine was still healing. 

“I have an idea,” Kurt proposed, “Why don’t I take the two of you home and we put this stuff away. I can come back to town and do the grocery shopping.”

“I can’t let you do it alone, that wouldn’t be fair.” Blaine protested. 

Kurt nodded his head over at Giggles, who was rubbing at her eyes. “I don’t know if she is up for more shopping today. I would stay home, but you aren’t supposed to be driving yet, remember.”

Blaine reluctantly agreed. 

Once everything was put away in her room, Giggles was napping cuddled up to her elephant. Kurt and Blaine stood watching her for a moment. Kurt leaned over and kissed Blaine cheek, “Why don’t you rest for a while?” 

“I think that may be a good idea,” Blaine sighed. “Will you cuddle with me when you get back?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Kurt stated.

As Kurt drove back to the grocery store, he couldn’t help thinking how nice it was to be a part of a family again, if only temporarily. 

  
  



	9. Chapter 9

Life with Giggles was unlike anything Kurt could have imagined. She still remained quiet, never uttering a sound. It was almost eerie at times. Everyone always said how noisy kids could be, but she never made a peep. 

She would play with her toys with pure joy on her face but she never even mouthed words. Kurt began to worry that she didn’t know how to talk. If that were the case, what would happen to her, they may never find where she came from. A part of Kurt didn’t want to know, and he hated himself for it. The longer she lived with them, the more he loved her. 

He knew the Hero Department was still trying to locate her family, and each day he worried they would get the call that she was leaving them. Weeks flew by. Blaine had returned to class after another week of healing and so Giggles accompanied Kurt to work every day. Isabelle had wrangled Kurt into teaching a sophomore unit on costume design and while the students worked Giggles would happily draw pictures in the corner. Kurt could tell her favorite part of the day was when she got to go to the workshop with Kurt. She seemed fascinated by it all, Isabelle most of all. Kurt thought maybe it was because Isabelle could talk all day without need for a reply. 

Their time at home was Kurt’s favorite part of the day. They would enlist her help in making dinner and setting the table, both jobs she did with gusto. It didn’t matter to Giggles if she was stirring the pot with Blaine or carrying plates to the table, to her they were the most important tasks. They would spend the night reading stories together, watching movies or playing simple games and to Kurt it was magical. 

One night Kurt was tucking Giggles into bed. She was snuggling under the covers and pulled the turquoise elephant into one arm and a bright purple octopus into the other. Kurt hadn’t seen the latter before. “Where did you get that?” Kurt asked. 

Giggles of course just smiled at him. 

“Well as long as you like him.” Kurt laughed. 

Later snuggled up with Blaine in bed he playfully scolded him, “You bought her another stuffed animal I see.”

Blaine looked at him in confusion, “The octopus?’ I thought you got that for her.”

Kurt shook his head, “I guess Isabelle gave it to her behind my back. She’s a sneaky one.”

“She probably snuck it in Giggles bag,” Blaine laughed. 

“I don’t want her to go,” Kurt confessed quietly. He held his breath, worried because he couldn’t see Blaine’s face. 

Blaine sighed before responding, “I don’t either. I know when we find her parents it is the right thing to do. Doesn’t mean it isn’t going to hurt like hell though.”

A few nights later, Kurt and Blaine were sitting on the couch having just put Giggles to bed, when Blaine’s phone rang. Kurt went and fixed them some tea while Blaine was talking. When he came back, Blaine gave him a serious look and Kurt’s heart thudded to a stop in his chest. 

“That was Agent Monroe,” Blaine began and Kurt could feel his bile rise. “Max Wendell was just sentenced to Life in Prison. He can never hurt anyone else again.”

“Seriously, he has already gone to trial?” Kurt asked, feeling relief wash over him. 

“Villains don’t get a jury trial, they are charged with a tribunal. It is safer that way. The tribunal reviews the evidence and reports to make a decision and the villain doesn’t have to leave the secure prison to be there in person.” Blaine explained. 

Kurt worried his lip before asking “How do they keep him from using his quirk to escape?”

“They have an advanced system that monitors the brain and if a villain even thinks of using their quirk they are- neutralized, is the word they use. They also try to make it impossible for them to use it before that. If the quirk requires touch for instance their hands are covered. They limit who they physically have access to as well.” Blaine shook his head. 

“So he really can’t hurt anyone ever again?” Kurt needed to hear it again. 

Blaine held him close, “The world is safe from Max Wendell.”

They sat in silence for a while, both thinking about this news. Kurt looked up when he heard the soft pattering of running feet. Giggles wasn’t there. 

Together they walked to her room to find her quietly crying on her bed. 

“Did you hear what we were talking about?” Blaine asked gently.

Giggles nodded her head, tears trailing down her tiny cheeks. 

“There is nothing to be afraid about,” Kurt soothed, taking her in his arms. “He can’t hurt you or anyone else again. Besides, Blaine and I are here to protect you.”

She held tighter to Kurt, her little body trembling. Blaine wrapped his arms and wings around all three of them and they rocked slowly to an unheard song, taking comfort in the news and each other. 

Winter break was fast approaching and Kurt, Blaine and Giggles had spent most of the day before in the kitchen together baking treats for a celebration with Blaine’s students. Since learning of her capter’s fate a few weeks before, Giggles had come out of her shell a bit, though she still wouldn’t utter a word. Kurt was glad to see that she didn’t seem quite as wary of Blaine’s boisterous class as she had in the beginning. In fact, she seemed to be looking forward to the party as much as the rest of them were. 

At this moment, though, all thoughts of parties and happiness were completely overshadowed in Kurt’s mind. He was frantically searching the kitchen with a sick pit of dread firmly housed in his gut. 

“Blaine!” He called out tears clogging his voice. 

In moments Blaine was standing in the doorway of the kitchen looking concerned, “Kurt, what’s wrong?”

“I can’t find my ring,” Kurt’s voice hitched as he admitted that fact. “I took it off yesterday so it would stay clean while we were baking. I put it on the window sill by the sink and now it’s not there.”

Kurt spun around in his spot hoping in vain for it to appear. Blaine’s strong arms held him tight, stopping his motion. “Calm down, We’ll find it. It will be okay,” he soothed. 

“I can’t believe I was so stupid.” Kurt chastised himself. 

“Stop,” Blaine said, kissing his cheek. 

Together they searched to no avail. It simply wasn’t anywhere to be seen

Kurt sat miserably on the floor, his back against the cabinets. “You don’t think it went down the drain do you?” he asked. 

“I don’t know, I guess it’s possible,” Blaine said slowly. 

“I can’t believe I lost my wedding ring!” Kurt moaned, “We haven’t even been married three months yet.”

Just then Giggles walked in the kitchen looking serious. She approached Kurt, who tried to give her a smile. As she got closer she held out her closed fist to him. Curious, Kurt held out his own hand. Giggle’s little fist opened and Kurt’s ring plopped into his waiting palm. 

“Where- where did you get this?” Kurt asked quietly. 

“I found it for you.” She said, much to the amazement of the couple. 

Kurt looked at her in shock for a second before repeating, “You found it? Where?”

“It was lost. So I found it.” She said as if that were a better explanation. 

Kurt looked over at Blaine who shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t understand.” Kurt said slowly.

She seemed to think for a moment, before trying to explain. “I’m good at finding things. It’s like your clothes magic. If something is lost, I just think about it and it comes to me. It doesn’t always work.”

Kurt and Blaine shared another look. Blaine pulled his phone out and as Kurt spoke, he knew Blaine was beginning to record their interaction. “Finding lost things is your quirk? Can you tell me about it?”

Blaine propped his phone up before joining them on the floor. 

“Like Squiggles my octopus. I missed him, but he was there when the building fell. I wanted him back, so I thought about him and he came to me.” She said sitting down. 

“Do you find things a lot?” Blaine asked. 

She shook her head. “I didn’t want to get in trouble. Grandpa would take my toys away if I was bad, so I only found the real special ones.”

As fascinating as learning about Giggle’s quirk was, there was something else that Kurt needed to know, “I’m so glad you feel safe enough to talk to us. Can you tell us your name?”

She took a deep breath but smiled when she said, “Elster Colleen Wendell.”

Kurt’s heart stopped at the name Wendell. He knew his smile faltered and tried to regain his composure. “What a beautiful name,” he managed to say as his mind began to race. 

Wendell. Was she really related to the man who had done so much damage to so many people's lives? He reasoned with himself that that wasn’t necessarily true. 

Kurt couldn’t make his mind focus on what to say next. Luckily, Blaine seemed to recover from his shock quicker than Kurt. He asked, “How old are you?”

“5,” She said happily. 

“The man at the warehouse, the one we said could never hurt you again. Was he related to you?” Blaine questioned gently. 

She nodded, “He’s my grandpa. But he wasn’t nice like the ones in the stories you read to me. He was mean, kept me locked in my room, unless he wanted me to play with another kid. I didn’t like that either, because it made them sad.”

“Why would it make them sad?” Blaine asked. 

She looked down at her lap, “It wasn’t the playing, it was after. I had to play with them, talk to them, so he could see what they were like. If he liked them, we had to go and get them. It was always dark and I was tired. He would use his magic to send both of us to the other kids’ rooms. They were always sleeping. He would use his magic again to send them away. Once they were gone he would just send us back to the car. When we got back to the building they would be in the cage crying with everyone else. They never liked me after that.”

“When you say send? You mean he would use his quirk to transport you to their rooms? Why did he need you there?” Blaine said with concern. 

“He would touch me to send me where he wanted, there was smoke, black smoke and then I would be there. He can’t do it to himself. He has to send someone else but if he holds on to them he can go too.” Elster shrugged.

Kurt regained his composure and said, “That had to be scary.”

She nodded her head again. “He told me if I wasn’t quiet he would send me away too. Not to the cage. Like the lady.”

“What lady?” Kurt asked. 

She started crying softly and she crawled into Kurt’s lap. He held her as she spoke. “I tried to get them back. He always told me about them. I didn’t want them sad anymore and I tried to get them back. When I knew I could find things I tried, but it didn’t work”

“I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.” Kurt soothed. “You tried. But who were you trying to find?”

“The pretty angel and her husband. He sent them to another world. He said he just meant to send the man but the angel went too. He wanted her to know how it felt losing someone special.” She wailed. 

Kurt held her as she cried and shared a look with Blaine. Could it really be? Was this little girl the reason Kurt was even here right now? 

“Do you remember when this was?” Blaine asked gently. 

Elster sniffled, “After I played with Grace. Grandpa was mad at me because I was crying. Grace had a little sister and I knew she was going to be sad that we sent her away.”

They sat in silence on the kitchen floor, Elster clinging to Kurt while he and Blaine thought about what she had revealed. After a while, Blaine stood up and grabbed his phone. “I am so proud of you Elster.” he said, “That was a lot of talking. Do you still feel like going to the party?”

“Uh-huh” She said rubbing her eyes.

“Why don’t you go wash your face and get dressed? We have to leave in a little bit.” Blaine urged. 

She stood to go.

“Thank you for finding my ring.” Kurt told her. 

Once they heard her go upstairs Kurt asked, “Do you think she did it? Do you think she is the one who brought me here?”

Blaine helped Kurt to his feet. “I think it is possible. I should call Monroe and let him know.”

Kurt fell into Blaine’s arms. “If it is true, if she is related to Wendell, what is going to happen to her?”

“I don’t know.” Blaine whispered against Kurt’s neck. “As far as we knew, Wendell was the last of his family.”

“I don’t want her to go away.” Kurt admitted. 

Blaine kissed his cheek, “I don’t either.”

Kurt left the kitchen so Blaine could make his phone call. He checked on Elster before going and getting ready himself. Once he was dressed he peeked into her room again. She was coloring on the floor. 

“Why don’t you play here until it is time to go?” He suggested. 

“Are you mad?” She asked, looking frightened. 

“Of course not honey. I am so glad you told us.” He reassured her. 

“Will I go to prison like grandpa?” Her voice trembled as she spoke. 

“No. They don’t send little girls to prison. And besides, you didn’t want to help your grandpa.” Kurt picked her up and held her. “I love you and I am not going to let anyone hurt you or make you feel sad again. Okay?”

She nodded against his shoulder. 

He gently put her down. “I’m going to make sure Blaine is getting ready. I’ll come get you when it is time to go.”

Kurt could hear Blaine in their bedroom and went to join him. 

“I told Monroe what she said, and sent him the video.” Blaine announced as soon as Kurt entered the room. “He said he would see what he could find out about Elster and would get back to me.”

“She’s scared they are going to send her to prison too.” Kurt told him. “I’m just glad she is still talking.”

Blaine shook his head as he went to his closet to retrieve his clothes. “I still can’t believe she actually talked at all. It’s been months without a single peep from her and then everything comes out at once.”

“And she still wants to go to the party. She is a pretty resilient little girl.” Kurt pointed out. 

At the party, Elster proved just how true that statement was. She thrived at the party, smiling and laughing at the students' antics. It was like telling her secrets had finally freed her from whatever had a hold on her for so long. Blaine’s student’s relished in her new found interest in them and Kurt and Blaine beamed with pride at the whole lot. 

That night as they tucked Elster into bed, tired from all the excitement of the day and finally coming down from her sugar high, Kurt handed her Squiggles her octopus and asked, “Why did you finally decide to talk to us? We adore it, I’m just curious.”

Elster thought for a moment, “You said Grandpa couldn’t hurt me. I thought a lot about it after. I knew you would keep me safe. Then I saw you were sad and I wanted to make you happy like you made me happy.”

“You always make me happy.” Kurt said before kissing her forehead. 

Kurt stood in the doorway as Blaine sang her to sleep. His heart ached at the thought that they could lose her soon. He swiped away the tears before anyone could see. 

The day before Christmas Eve Blaine received another call from Monroe wanting to meet with them. Kurt quickly called Isabelle and wrangled her to babysit Elster. Since coming to live with them, Isabelle was the only other staff member she had warmed to. They had yet to introduce her to Sam or Elliot who she would be meeting the next night. Kurt was just glad Isabelle hadn’t left for her parents’ house yet. Elster was all smiles and Isabelle was amazed to have the little one talking to her so freely. 

“We’ve got this,” She soothed the men before hustling them out the front door. 

Kurt was a mess all the way to the Hero Department offices. Not only was he worried about leaving Elster with someone else, he was terrified about what Monroe would tell them. The building was quiet with only a few staff members around when they entered. Monroe greeted them in the lobby and led them to a small conference room not far away. 

As soon as the three of them were sitting at the table Monroe spoke, “I wanted to fill you in on what we have learned. It seems like her timeline checks out. Grace Newport disappeared from outside of Lake Placid, New York in the early morning hours of March 13th. From what we could tell that would put Elster and Max Wendell possibly on the road near the camp where Mr. Hummel was discovered that morning. It would appear that when she tried to bring Kathryn and Burt Hummel back, she actually brought their son instead.

Kurt and Blaine let this information wash over them. Without Elster none of  _ this _ would ever have been possible. 

“Why was he targeting  _ these  _ children?” Blaine inquired. 

Monroe looked tired as he answered. “One of his lackeys said he was gathering them because of their quirks, that their quirks were the most desirable on the black market for quirk marriages. He took them young in the hopes of making them more submissive and less likely to run once a deal had been made. This seems to check out as they had all recently had their quirk registered. Apparently all he needed was a simple hack job to get all the information he wanted.” 

“Is Wendell really her grandfather?” Kurt asked. 

“We knew Max Wendell had a daughter who had been estranged from him for years. As far as we knew, she never had any children. However, it appears she was pregnant when she disappeared over 5 years ago.”

Kurt worried his hands in his lap, “Disappeared like my parents?” 

“I’m afraid not,” Monroe shook his head sadly. “Her body was discovered 2 years later. Examination of the remains determined her cause of death to be a single gunshot to the back of her head.”

“Didn’t the doctor find evidence of her giving birth?” Kurt asked, he had watched enough crime dramas to know this was something that could be determined by something to do with the pelvic bones. 

Monroe shook his head again, “There wasn’t much to examine, wild animals unfortunately found her before we did. A necklace found with what was left of the body matched a description from her missing person report and her dental records were the only way we were able to identify her. We tested Elster’s blood sample from the hospital when she was admitted and compared her DNA with DNA from the remains. Margret Wendell was Elster’s mother.”

“And Elster’s father?” Blaine asked. 

“He died in a car wreck a month before her mother disappeared.” Monroe told them. 

“Does she have any family left?” Blaine asked. 

A war was waging inside Kurt as he waited for Monroe to answer; part of him wanted Elster to have somewhere she belonged and a larger part wanted that place to be with them. 

“Wendell is her last living relative. There was no birth certificate, she was never registered anywhere. As far as we knew she didn’t exist until Mr. Anderson found her in that building.” Monroe stated. 

“It’s Hummel now actually,” Blaine added at the same time Kurt spoke.

“What’s going to happen to her?” Kurt asked with bated breath. 

Monroe shrugged, “I suppose she will go into the system and then be put up for adoption.”

“What if we kept her?” Kurt blurted out. His heart leapt when he saw Blaine nodding along with him. 

“Mr. Hummel, are you sure that is what you want to do?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” Blaine asked. 

Monroe looked at them with actual compassion as he spoke. “Are you sure this wouldn’t be too much too fast for you. Let’s look at this logically, Mr. Hummel only arrived here nine months ago. In that time, you two have met, moved in together and got married. Don’t you think adding a 5 year old child to your home may be a little much?”

Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand, took a deep breath and said with conviction, “Agent Monroe, I grew up in a world where people would meet someone and it seemed like they knew almost instantly that they had a connection. I’m not talking just about soul mates, at least not only the one with your name on their chest. Everyone around me would meet people and sometimes they just knew that that person would be in their lives forever. There was a bond between them, friendships formed so deeply and completely. It was fascinating to watch, but it never seemed to happen to me. Even before I failed to receive my soul mark, I felt like maybe I was broken, because I never felt that connection with my friends. Not until I came here. Almost instantly I connected with people. First Elliot and Sam, I trusted them in a way that wasn’t logical, then Blaine who even without his name on my chest, I think I would have known that this was meant to be. The same thing happened with Isabelle, we clicked like I never had with another colleague.” 

Kurt sighed. “When Elster came along, I felt the same pull to her. I tried to deny it, I wouldn’t acknowledge it because I was sure that she would be taken away, that she had family waiting for her. I loved her almost instantly. All the time she has been living with us, it hasn’t felt like we were watching her, or just helping her, she has been family. So this may seem fast to you, Agent Monroe, but all of this feels like a long time coming to me. Love doesn’t have a timeline.”

Kurt looked over at Blaine, his eyes were wide with shock and his mouth gaped open slightly. Kurt added, “If it is okay with Blaine, I want us to adopt Elster.”

Blaine beamed at him and said, “I would love that, but I think we need to ask Elster if this is what she wants as well, because, yes, I feel we are family too.”

Monroe looked at the pair with fascination before replying, “I will make the appropriate phone calls to get the ball rolling.”

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Christmas was an entirely new experience for Kurt. For so long, Christmas was just another day to highlight how alone he was in the world. This year, Kurt was surrounded by his new family. 

Elliot and Sam arrived just as the sun was beginning to set on Christmas Eve, their arms loaded down with presents and huge matching grins on their faces. Elster eyed them cautiously for a moment before her eyes lit up. 

“I remember you!” she cheered looking at them both. “You helped get us when the building fell.”

Elliot crouched down to her level, “We did. I am glad to see you are doing well.”

Her eyes seemed to glow with excitement. “You’re Starchild. You made the pretty lights.”

Kurt could see Elliot puff up with pride at being recognized. He had to hold in his giggle as he remembered their first meeting and Elliot’s disappointment that Kurt had never heard of him. 

“You can call me Elliot.”

“Our names match,” Elster smiled, “I’m Elster and you are Elliot Star.”

“Team El for the win!” Elliot crowed, causing the whole room to break out in laughter. 

Sam was almost as big of a hit with her, she giggled as he changed himself to everyone she knew. 

It was a meal like none any of them had had before. Laughter and cheer filled the air as they happily shared the holiday together. Elster was spoiled with gifts beyond imagining just from their two guests. By the time the evening was over, both Sam and Elliot had to promise they would come back soon. 

Christmas dawned early and for the first time, Kurt and Blaine were woken up by a small body colliding with theirs. 

“Do you think Santa really came?” She asked wide eyed as soon as they opened their eyes. 

Blaine laughed, “Why don’t we go downstairs and find out?”

Santa had indeed come, bringing with him everything a five year old girl could desire. Kurt and Blaine’s contributions were much more subdued, consisting of mainly things Elster needed, clothes and books. This was a change necessitated by the question they still needed to ask her. They didn’t want her to think they were trying to buy her love. 

It was a lazy day watching Elster enjoy her new toys. She had a new freeness about her Kurt hadn’t realized was missing before. It hit him, she was no longer afraid of her things being used against her. 

That night, as they tucked her into bed, Kurt looked over at Blaine. It was time. 

“Elster, we wanted to ask you something. We want you to know that whatever you decide, it’s okay. We only want you to do what you want. Do you understand?” Blaine began.

She looked confused and a little worried, “I think so.” 

“How would you feel if Blaine and I adopted you? If we became your dads, and we were a real family and you never had to leave us?” Kurt proposed. 

“I could stay here, always?” she asked. 

Kurt held his breath as Blaine answered. “Always and forever. Is that something you would want?”

Elster looked between them, “We could be a real family?”

“We already love you like our own.” Kurt explained, “But everyone else would see that we are a real family too. We want nothing more than for you to be our daughter, but if that isn’t what you want, we don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Can I paint my room?” She asked. 

They laughed with relief. “We will see what we can do about that,” Blaine chuckled. 

“Do I call you both dad?” Elster said, biting her lips. 

Kurt grabbed her hand, “You get to decide what you want to call us.”

“We can talk more about it in the morning,” Blaine stated, “But now it’s bedtime.”

Elster began to snuggle once more under her covers, but sat up quickly. “Wait, I didn’t give you anything for Christmas.”

“You said yes, that is enough for us,” Blaine assured her. 

Tears welled in her eyes, “Please, I want to give you something. Can I find something for you?”

Blaine shook his head, “Everything I need is right here in this room.”

Elster’s lip started to quiver, “I have something,” Kurt told her. 

“Really?” she asked hopefully. 

“My mom used to write in a journal when I was younger. She always told me that when I was 18 I could have it. After she died, I kept trying to sneak it out of my parent’s bedroom and so my dad hid it. I never found it. Do you think if I showed it to you you could find it? It’s a long way away in the world where the angel was.” Kurt explained. 

Elster sat up straight looking determined. “I want to try.”

Kurt pulled out his phone and searched through the few pictures he had saved there. It was one of the last pictures of his mother ever taken. He showed it to Elster, his mom was sitting by the window looking out, a red leather journal with white flowers in her hand. 

Elster looked at the picture in awe, “She’s beautiful.”

“I’ll tell you all about her one day,” Kurt promised. 

Elster smiled before closing her eyes. 

“Kurt,” Blaine whispered and pointed to the end of the bed. A small cloud of purple smoke swirled there until suddenly a dusty red book with white flowers appeared. 

Kurt and Blaine stared at it for a moment, before Elster grumbled, “It was supposed to come to my hand.”

“We can get the headmaster to help you with that,” Blaine smiled. 

Kurt looked at him in confusion.

“Didn’t I tell you Headmaster Hina has a transportation quirk.”

“I can really learn?” Elster asked. 

“You can do anything you want now.” Blaine assured her. 

Kurt looked back to the foot of the bed and reached out a tentative hand to pick up something he thought was lost to time and space. 

“Thank you,” he whispered before kissing her forehead. 

Once Elster was tucked safely into bed once more, Kurt and Blaine went to their room, curled up together on the bed and began to read. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are 2 more (at least) parts of this series coming! Stay Tuned!


End file.
